Fiorentina interested in signing out-of-favour Barcelona centre-back | OneFootball

With just over a week remaining before Barcelona kickstart their new season preparations, they are expected to seal the exit of a host of fringe players in the team.

Clement Lenglet, for one, has recently become a subject of interest for European giants AS Roma and Tottenham Hotspur, while Riqui Puig is reportedly keen on sealing his exit by next week.

According to L’Equipe (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Samuel Umtiti is another player facing the prospect of a potential exit from Camp Nou.

The French centre-back has indeed become a subject of interest for Fiorentina. The Serie A outfit are anticipating the sale of Nikola Milenkovic this summer, with the Serbian international emerging as a target for Atletico Madrid, among others.

It is likely Milenkovic will move on, potentially creating a massive void in the Fiorentina defensive unit. But in Samuel Umtiti, the Violas have identified an ideal replacement.

Fiorentina rate the Barcelona defender highly because of his physical prowess and aerial ability. The former Lyon starlet also brings a wealth of experience to the table. It could go a long way in adding stability to the Fiorentina backline for the coming season.

The Italians are expected to make a move for Umtiti as soon as they sanction the exit of Milenkovic. Barcelona are open to the deal, as they are actively looking for opportunities to offload the Frenchman, in an attempt to not only lower the cost of the workforce but also generate a sizable transfer revenue.

If everything goes according to the plan, Barcelona could potentially offload three fringe players in the form of Lenglet, Umtiti and Puig before they start their training at the start of July.

These sales could go a long way in helping Barcelona balance the books, and register the likes of Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen ahead of the new season.