Samuel Umtiti reluctant to leave Barcelona amidst Champions League offer

Well, although it seemed like Samuel Umtiti was finally on a move away from Barcelona, new reports indicate that the player in fact has doubled down and wants to renegotiate a contract with the Catalans. This is huge news for the club as now they will not be able to sell the player and must look at other ways to procure funds for new transfers. Last week, there were multiple reports stating that the Portuguese club, Benfica, was still interested in the player and with Benfica being in the UEFA Champions League, many assumed that Umtiti would finally accept a move away since Champions League football was one of his priorities.

Now it seems as if he has changed his mind since new reports from SPORT suggest that there have been no talks held between the Barcelona defender and the Portuguese giants. Last season the player was on for a move to the same club in question however, he declined the move and was largely shunned from the team as well. This season it was expected of him to make the move; however, Umtiti wants to stay at Barca, since they will most likely offer him a better contract than Benfica.

Umtiti’s contract does not expire until 2023 and Barcelona could be stuck with the huge earner for two more years. However, Xavi Hernandez has been putting him to work since Gerard Pique got suspended. There is a good chance he might make a few more appearances including one against Elche as well. Umtiti is ready to revise his contract and this could be a good sign financially; however, in the long run, it is better to sell the player. The Catalans already have a plethora of center-backs and the young talents will surely provide more stability to the club than Umtiti.

Should Barca sell or keep Umtiti?