Samuel Umtiti extends Barcelona contract to 2023
Barça have handed the French centre-back a pay rise, extended his contract and raised his buy-out fee… but are still intent on signing Sevilla's Clément Lenglet.
Samuel Umtiti and Barcelona have reached an agreement to extend and improve the French central defender's contract. The player has been granted permission by France coach Didier Deschamps to return to Spain on Monday morning to sign his new contract which will tie him to Barcelona until 30 June 2023. Umtiti will then give a brief press conference at theRicard Maxenchs press room at 10:30am before rejoining the France squad for their World Cup preparations.
Cheap buy-out clause
Umtiti has been awarded a pay rise and his buy-out, which was set at 60 million euros - the second lowest out of all of the first team squad, has been raised. Partly because of that low buy-out fee, Umtiti has drawn attention from a number of top clubs around Europe - Manchester United were prepared to meet it to whisk him away to Old Trafford. It also prompted the player to consider some of the offers his agents had mentioned to him.
Lenglet still on the agenda
After months of negotiating, Barcelona finally announced an agreement with Umtiti had been reached by issuing a statement early on Sunday evening. It doesn't mean that Barcelona have lost interest in signing Sevilla centre-back Clément Lenglet, whose retention fee has risen to 30 million euros. Barça's technical department are keen to strengthen the central defence positions and give Piqué and Umtiti competition for a place. Vermaelen could stay on as an alternative, fourth choice central defender although the club have reservations about his physical deficiencies while Yerry Mina will be loaned out for the new season.