FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed in a press conference on Thursday that the club have completed the transfer of young France International Samuel Umtiti from the Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais.
The 22-year-old French centre-back is expected to join the current La Liga Champions after the completion of the ongoing European Championships. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has reportedly confirmed that a fee has been agreed between the clubs.
“We anticipate the eventual departure of Umtiti. Samuel has an exclusive agreement for him to join Barcelona,” he told RMC Sport.
Bartomeu confirmed Lyon president’s claims on Thursday stating that the club have indeed come to a settlement regarding the transfer of the young centre back. The most surprising thing about the whole deal is the reported fee of €25 million.
“Some days ago, Barça reached an agreement with Lyon for Umtiti for a fee of €25million. It will not be official, however, until he comes to Barcelona for a medical,” Bartomeu said in a press conference on Thursday, as per Barcelona’s official website.
In an inflated transfer market, €25 million for a 22-year-old international is brilliant business by the Catalan club. The fee represents nearly half the amount Barcelona would’ve had to shell out for other centre-back targets such as Aymeric Laporte or John Stones.
Samuel Umtiti’s style of play is a combination of strength and technique. Like every player at such a young age, he is relatively raw, but anyone who has watched him in a Lyon shirt would probably agree that the 22-year-old possesses a certain amount of talent.
He is left footed, which is also good if he is to partner the right footed Gerard Pique at the heart of the Spanish Champions’s defense. Umtiti also has a quick burst of pace in him, enabling him to quash counter attacks with ease. In addition to this, Samuel Umtiti has an impeccable passing ability and is equally adept at both dribbling and holding on to the ball. One of his main attributes, though, is his concentration on the field of play.
Samuel Umtiti has spent almost the entirety of his footballing career playing for Lyon. He has clocked 131 senior league appearances for the club, scoring three goals. His time at Lyon has finally come to an end, and he should be looking forward to joining up with his new teammates and donning the famous Blaugrana jersey.