Two Turkish clubs are reportedly keen on securing the services of Barcelona outcast Samuel Umtiti in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona’s hopes of getting rid of Samuel Umtiti could come from Turkey, with two clubs from the country keen on signing him. But the French defender is uninterested in moving to a Turkish club, leaving Barcelona in limbo.
Samuel Umtiti has suffered from a dramatic fall from grace, going from a pivotal figure for Barcelona to an afterthought in the first-team squad. The 28-year-old had taken no time to establish himself as the first-choice candidate to form the central defensive partnership with Gerard Pique following his arrival from Lyon.
But injuries and poor form have squandered the French defender’s chances of enjoying a fruitful stint with Barcelona. With his reliability plummeting in the last few years, he has dropped to the very bottom of the pecking order for centre-backs. And Umtiti is finally ready to leave Barcelona, with the Blaugrana prepared to terminate his contract to get rid of him.
Umtiti does not feature in Xavi Hernandez’s plans, with Barcelona deeming him surplus to requirements. And the Catalan giants have left the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Catalonia to sort out his future, with the player one of four outcasts to miss the pre-season tour to the USA.
The 28-year-old seemed to be closing in on returning to France by joining Stade Rennais, only for Rennes to end interest in him. But Barcelona might finally have a solution in their bid to offload Umtiti in the summer transfer window, with two Turkish clubs emerging in his pursuit.
The report does not name the two clubs, but it is clear that the only way Umtiti will leave Barcelona is by joining a club from Turkey, with no other team showing interest in him. However, the out-of-favour French centre-back does not want to move to Turkey, putting a spanner in the works for Barcelona and his prospective suitors.
The Catalan giants are still hoping they might not have to terminate Umtiti’s contract to get him off their books. But if push comes to shove, Barcelona will cancel the player’s deal to get rid of him, although he is trying to sort his future out quickly.