Barcelona set for €500,000 windfall after loanee reaches appearances target – report | OneFootball

Away from the spotlight and scrutiny at Barcelona, Samuel Umtiti is slowly but steadily taking steps towards building his career back. On loan at Lecce, the Frenchman is enjoying a solid spell and is starting to leave behind the nightmarish couple of seasons he endured before his exit last summer.

Indeed, Umtiti has made 16 appearances for Lecce this season, of which 15 have been from the start in Serie A. And he has emerged as one of the Italian outfit’s most reliable performers, so much so that they are considering extending his time at the club beyond this season.

Umtiti’s return to form and fitness is obviously a good sign for the player, but Barcelona are also starting to reap the benefits of his time in Italy.

Indeed, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are set to receive a sum of €500,000 from Lecce after Umtiti reached one of the objectives in the loan deal between the two clubs.

While negotiating the loan deal for Umtiti, Lecce did not pay Barça any fee, while they are not bearing any percent of his wages either. But it was agreed that the Italians would make payments to the club if the 29-year-old achieved appearance-related targets.

And, as per the report, Umtiti triggered one such clause when he started for Lecce against Napoli on Friday. It was his 15th start for the Serie A minnows which, as per the agreement, means that they have to pay Barcelona a bonus of €500,000.

Even though it is not a huge amount, given the club’s situation when it comes to Financial Fair Play, every penny matters.

Moreover, Umtiti’s run of games at Lecce will also help the Blaugrana attract more suitors for him when they look to sell him permanently in the summer.