Samuel Umtiti, during a training session. /
Barcelona
The French central, who extends his relationship with Barça until 2026, sees a reduction in part of the salary that he was going to receive in the year and a half that he had a contract, which frees up space so that Xavi can already count on the Spanish international
Barcelona now has a free hand to register Ferran Torres in LaLiga. The Barça club has announced the renewal of Samuel Umtiti until June 30, 2026. The French central, whose contract expired next year, will see a reduction in part of the salary that he was going to receive in the year and a half that he had signed with the entity that Joan Laporta presides, which frees the necessary salary mass so that Xavi Hernández can finally count on the Spanish international.
This is what Barça specifies in the statement in which he gives an account of the renewal of Umtiti, to which he “publicly expresses his gratitude” for “the effort and affection he has shown towards the club” Barça. “With this contract extension, FC Barcelona expands its ‘fair play’ and will be able to register Ferran Torres in the Professional Football League,” the note added.
Since the signing of Ferran Torres, from Manchester City, in exchange for 55 million euros plus 10 in variables, Barça has been working on how to fit the operation within the strict rules on financial control established by LaLiga . The first step was the departure of Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian left on loan until the end of the season to Aston Villa, which will pay eight million of his salary and reserves a purchase option of 40 million. The ex of the Liverpool had one of the highest salaries of the staff.
The second and definitive movement has been the renewal of Umtiti, whom Barça tried to place on the market but whose reluctance to leave led Laporta to offer him a renewal under favorable economic conditions for Barça. The defender will receive in five years what he had insured until 2023 and, in return, will have the option of leaving for free in 2023.
Ansu Fati enters the list for the Super Cup
Signed in 2016 in exchange for 25 million euros for Olympique Lyon, the 2018 world champion in Russia has had a declining performance at Barça. He became a fixture in the eleven of Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde during his first two seasons, but in the last four years he has become a residual value for the Barça squad. Weighed down by injuries, Umtiti has only played 50 games since the 2018-19 campaign. In the current one, he only counts the 90 minutes he played in the seventeenth day of the League against Osasuna.
The announcement of its renewal comes two days after Barça begins its participation in the Spanish Super Cup, with the dispute of a semifinal that will measure Real Madrid in Riyadh on Wednesday. Umtiti is one of the 24 summoned by Xavi Hernández for that appointment. The big news on the list is the presence of Ansu Fati, who returns in time from his last injury. Although the winger does not yet have a medical discharge, as with Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo, he has been included by Xavi in the hope of being able to count on them in the classic in Arabian lands. On the other hand, Ferran Torres and Pedri are not part of the call, who continue to be positive for covid-19 and will not be available for the Super Cup, unless they obtain a negative at the last minute.
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