Barcelona Yet to Receive Any Offers for Samuel Umtiti
By Ross Jackson
Barcelona are yet to receive a concrete offer for centre-back Samuel Umtiti, despite the Frenchman being linked with a whole host of European sides.
The Catalan giants are embarking on a summer clearout in a desperate bid to offload some of their high earners from the payroll, as new boss Ronald Koeman looks to begin the rebuilding process at the club.
Umtiti has been deemed surplus to requirements by Koeman, however, despite a number of clubs lodging an interest in the 26-year-old, Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo report that Barça are yet to receive any formal bids.
The former Lyon man endured a frustrating 2019/20 campaign with a persistent knee injury seeing him sidelined for much of the season, and with patience wearing thin the Barça hierarchy are reportedly open to a loan move should a permanent deal not be secured.
Roma had been strongly linked with a move for Umtiti when news of his availability surfaced, with fellow Serie A sides Napoli and Lazio also said to be keen on a deal. Meanwhile, Premier League clubs West Ham, Leicester, Arsenal and Tottenham were also rumoured to be interested in the centre-back, though Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has since moved to distance himself from the speculation.
Umtiti is just one of a number of players the club hope to move on this summer. With Luis Suarez's contract already set to be terminated, high-profile personnel such as Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique are also said to be available should the right offers be made.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu recently went as far as to suggest that only eight of the
Blaugrana squad weren’t available for transfer: Lionel Messi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Clement Lenglet, Nelson Semedo, Frenkie De Jong, Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati.
However, with Messi stating his desire to leave Camp Nou, it remains to be seen how many of the current crop will be at the club come the start of the 2020/21 season.