Report: Samuel Umtiti is adamant about staying at Barcelona | OneFootball

The trajectory of Samuel Umtiti at Barcelona in the past couple of years has been wayward, to say the least. The only relative certainty that seemed to have arisen after the 2020-21 campaign was that it was time for the defender to move on from the club.

Commanding a rather hefty wage and his physical decline becoming more and more apparent after 2018, it is hard to see any substantial future for him in Catalonia, especially whilst the club grapples with a crippling financial crisis. Offloading certain players and reducing their wages assumes utmost importance.

Under Joan Laporta’s second tenure as Barcelona president, things have gotten off to a relatively good start in terms of cheap reinforcements and certain players on their way out or having agreed to renegotiate their wages. Lionel Messi’s contract renewal also seems imminent, which is a huge plus.

However, the sale of Samuel Umtiti has been a tricky operation and the complications look to be growing every day, as L’Equipe are now reporting that the Frenchman is still not willing to leave the club and is adamant about staying and proving himself.

The club is looking for any way out for the defender, be it a sale with parties like Marseille and Lyon interested in his services, but he is keen on staying and proving himself, reportedly trying to get in peak physical shape with new trainers to try and succeed. However, his adamance is causing tension within the club.

Even a loan deal would work, for the time being, just to get his salary off the books temporarily, since his contract runs on till 2023. This news contradicts previous reports stating that Umtiti had finally agreed to go out on loan.