Rennes enter talks to sign out-of-favour Barcelona centre-back | OneFootball

In what could be a positive update for Barcelona, French outfit Rennes have expressed interest in signing out-of-favour defender Samuel Umtiti and have initiated talks over a possible summer move.

This claim comes from French publication L’Equipe, who report that the Brittany-based outfit are one among several clubs interested in the injury-prone centre-half who is surplus to requirements at Barça.

Umtiti has completed six seasons at Barcelona but has been out of favour for a long time now. Injuries have marred the Frenchman’s time at Camp Nou and the Blaugrana have been looking to offload him since last summer.

While Umtiti managed to convince the club administration to give him another chance last season, he played just once in 2021/22 and has run out of time in Catalonia.

Umtiti has been attracting interest from clubs in France and Italy. There have been links to Fiorentina recently and it now seems like Rennes have also entered the race for the signing of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner.

Umtiti signed a new contract with Barcelona in January, reducing his wages so that the club could register their new signings in the winter window.

Despite him signing a downward renewal, the Frenchman’s wages could still be an issue for the interested parties and he might need to further reduce his salary to secure an exit this summer.

Rennes finished fourth in Ligue 1 last season and will be playing in the UEFA Europa League. So a move to the club could give Umtiti a chance to return to his homeland and play European football.

With discussions having now begun, it remains to be seen the Blaugrana are successful in offloading Umtiti.