Barcelona star Samuel Umtiti has no plans of leaving the club this summer, according to Sport.
The report suggests that the Catalan giants are willing to listen to offers for the Frenchman but the 26-year-old is intent on staying at the club and fighting for his place.
Umtiti has been hampered by injuries in the last couple of years, managing just 10 starts in La Liga last season.
He suffered yet another knee injury after a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo at the beginning of July, sidelining him indefinitely.
[COMUNICADO MÉDICO]@samumtiti, con molestias en la rodilla izquierda
Todos los detalles 👉 https://t.co/vmKn5WbTlA pic.twitter.com/aMEyDTemAR
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) July 3, 2020
Samuel Umtiti had a great start to his Barcelona career in 2016, making more than 40 appearances in his first two full seasons at the club.
The left-footed defender was tipped to become the lynchpin of the Blaugrana defence in the future but his recurring injuries have severely hampered his progress.
The former Olympique Lyonnais man chose to play through the pain during the World Cup in Russia despite carrying a knee injury. Despite winning the World Cup, the defender hasn’t been able to get back to his best after electing against an operation for the injury.
Speaking about that episode, Umtiti said:
“I had to work on strengthening my quadriceps and a whole chain of muscles. It was a big imbalance. I had had it for quite a while, and I had to work three times harder to get back. During the World Cup, I didn’t necessarily do what I needed to. Or rather, did things I should have avoided.”
Fellow countryman Clément Lenglet has established himself in the team beside Gerard Pique, nudging the board to consider selling Umititi this summer. There have also been links to former Barcelona youth graduate Eric Garcia, schooled by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
21-year-old defender Ronald Araujo has seemingly moved up the pecking order at Camp Nou. Jean-Clair Todibo is another centre-back with huge potential, although his future at the club is also up in the air.
Umtiti is reportedly on high wages at the club, earning more than the likes of Marc-André ter Stegen and Jordi Alba.
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