Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti is reportedly closing in on a transfer to Ligue 1 side Rennes in the ongoing transfer window.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona could finally be successful in their efforts to get rid of injury-prone defender Samuel Umtiti as French giants Rennes are inching closer to the capture of the 28-year-old.
Umtiti’s time at Barcelona has been anything but pleasant, especially the second half of his six-year stint as he has been plagued by unrelenting injury problems, leading to his decline in stature and fall down the pecking order of things at Camp Nou. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner played just one game all season in 2021/22, indicating where he stands in Xavi Hernandez’s plans.
With Barcelona signing Andreas Christensen and pushing for another centre-back, there is no place for Umtiti on the roster anymore, and the Blaugrana have been making serious efforts to offload him this summer. And, it seems like Barcelona’s efforts are close to paying off, as Rennes are closing in on the capture of Umtiti.
Rennes have been in talks with Barcelona over a move for Umtiti, with their manager, Bruno Genesio, also confirming that the club were keen on signing the 28-year-old Frenchman.
And, it is now being claimed that an agreement over a deal is close to being reached. As per the report, Umtiti would be joining Rennes on a free transfer, with Barcelona prepared to hand him a ‘letter of freedom’ despite the defender still having four years left on his current contract with the Catalan giants.
It would allow Barcelona to get rid of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner’s salary, freeing up space on their wage bill for new arrivals this summer. As for Umtiti, the Frenchman will get a chance to return to his homeland and play under a manager who has worked with him before at Olympique Lyon.
Furthermore, with Rennes finishing fourth in Ligue 1 last season, they will also be participating in the UEFA Europa League, meaning that the Barcelona defender will continue playing continental football as he looks to leave his injury nightmare behind and rekindle his career. The report adds that all parties involved are confident of finalising the deal this week.
