BarcelonaJoan Laporta promised in May a “deep renewal” of Barça’s first team. The new president considered that “a cycle was over” and that it was time to tweak the team from top to bottom. But things didn’t turn out the way he wanted. By now, Messi has left, a player the president wanted him to follow, and no way out has been found for most of the footballers who had gone on sale. The last, Samuel Umtiti. After unsuccessful negotiations for him to leave the Camp Nou, the club has given up and removed the French center from the shop window. The player will not be sidelined, but will continue in the usual dynamics of the first team and will have to earn a place if he wants to have minutes. Umtiti has come out with his.
The decision was made this week at a meeting at the Camp Nou offices. Arturo Canales, Umtiti’s representative, met with President Joan Laporta, Sports Vice President Rafael Yuste, and Sports Director Mateu Alemany. Barça insisted on finding a way out for the footballer, but Umtiti refused to leave Barcelona. On the one hand, because he could not find any club that could match his salary. And, on the other hand, for sporting reasons: after three years battling a knee injury, the Frenchman has announced that he is recovered and that he wants to succeed with the Barça shirt.
Barça reluctantly complied with the decision. Umtiti was one of the most projected power plants of the first team until medical services detected knee problems, comparable to osteoarthritis. However, the previous directive renewed him until 2023 and improved his salary substantially, despite having the advice against part of the medical services of the entity. In the field it was evident that the doctors were right and Umtiti’s performance was declining to play a testimonial role. Knee discomfort makes it very difficult for him to have continuity. Apart from surgery, the only remedy is to muscle the area as much as possible. And this is precisely what Umtiti has done, and this is his endorsement to call for a new vote of confidence at the Camp Nou.
No way out
The club had explored all possible options to get rid of Umtiti – one of the players who, in accounting terms, was devalued in the closing of accounts last season. Forced to get rid of a high profile, like his, to lower the salary cap, the sports management did not find a way out or in the form of transfer or transfer. He was also pressured into threatening not to play a minute during the course. The option of even dismissing him was even considered. But he was eventually ruled out because he had to pay compensation and, being a unilateral decision, his record was still counting for the salary cap.
Umtiti, whistled during the Gamper by a fan very dissatisfied with his performance, has spent the summer physically preparing to return to the team. Koeman has readmitted him to the squad, although the coach has already made it clear that it was not, by far, his first choice to play on the defensive axis. The coach trusts Eric Garcia and Gerard Piqué as starters, and with Ronald Araújo, Oscar Mingueza and Clément Lenglet as alternatives. Umtiti would be the sixth man. At least for now.
Failed operations
Samuel Umtiti will continue to wear the Barça shirt, as will Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembélé, Neto Murara and Antoine Griezmann, footballers who were also in the shop window but who, either because of the players’ refusal or because of Barça has not received a decent enough offer, they will continue at the Camp Nou. Instead, those who seem close to leaving are Miralem Pjanic, who could return to Italy, and Álex Collado. In parallel with the salary negotiation with the locker room, the club is still in the last days of the transfer market, which ends next week, pending the closure of some more outings.
So far, Jean-Clair Todibo has left this summer for 8 million euros at Nice and Junior Firpo at Leeds United for 15 million. In addition, there has been the transfer of Trincao to Wolverhampton Wanderers for 6 million and sales of Carles Aleñá to Getafe for 5 million and that of Konrad de la Fuente to Olympique de Marseille for 3.5 million. These last two transactions have been with 50%, because the right of repurchase is maintained. To all this must be added the termination of Matheus Fernandes’ contract.
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