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Barcelona prioritise contract renewal of Samuel Umtiti

By Chiranjib Ghosh

BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 21: Samuel Umtiti of FC Barcelona in action during the La Liga 2017-18 match between FC Barcelona and Malaga CF at Camp Nou on 21 October 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 21: Samuel Umtiti of FC Barcelona in action during the La Liga 2017-18 match between FC Barcelona and Malaga CF at Camp Nou on 21 October 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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With Manchester United eyeing Samuel Umtiti, the board has prioritised negotiating a new contract for him

Samuel Umtiti during La Liga match between Barca v Malaga CF, in Barcelona, on October 21, 2017. (Photo by Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Samuel Umtiti during La Liga match between Barca v Malaga CF, in Barcelona, on October 21, 2017. (Photo by Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images) /

Samuel Umtiti has been a revelation since arriving last season. The Frenchman signed from Lyon for €25 million. But he has made a mockery of his transfer fee with his performances. Under Luis Enrique, he displaced Javier Mascherano from the starting lineup and under Ernesto Valverde, he has consolidated his position in the first-team.

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Umtiti has grown massively since he signed, from a young second-choice centre-back to a world-class first-team member. But his rise has not gone unnoticed. José Mourinho has been tracking his progress for a long time, and has solidified his interest in the Frenchman.

Mourinho wants him at Manchester United in January, and will sanction a move for Umtiti. United feel that his release clause of €60 million is an affordable figure, considering the inflated transfer market.

That is why Barcelona are looking to negotiate a new contract for Samuel Umtiti. They have already begun preliminary talks with Umtiti’s brother and agent Yannick, and have received a positive response from Yannick.

He said that Samuel would remain loyal to Barcelona, and there was no rush. But he still agreed to a new contract for his brother. The details of the new deal are yet to be finalised, but it will increase his wage and release clause considerably.

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The club is aiming to insert a release clause of €180 million into his new contract, which would keep United at bay. Through this, the club wants to lock him down till 2023.