Samuel Umtiti leaves Barcelona by mutual consent

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Samuel Umtiti leaves Barcelona by mutual consent

Barcelona have confirmed they have reached an agreement with Samuel Umtiti to terminate the centre-back's contract with immediate effect.

Umtiti joined the club from Lyon in 2016 for a fee of around €25m but saw injuries plague his time in Catalonia. He would make just 133 appearances for the club over seven years, with his last being his solitary outing in the 2021/22 campaign.

After returning from a solid loan spell with Lecce, Umtiti will now hit the market again as Barcelona have confirmed his departure from the club.

"FC Barcelona and defender Samuel Umtiti have reached an agreement to release the player from the contract binding him to the club until the end of the 2025/26 season," a statement read.

"FC Barcelona wishes to express its gratitude to Umtiti and wishes him every fortune and success in the future."

A high-earner at Camp Nou, Umtiti had been on a contract which was due to expire in 2023 but was surprisingly tied down to a long-term extension early last year which committed him to Barcelona until 2026.

It later emerged Umtiti had agreed to the extension to help ease Barcelona's financial struggles, accepting 18 months of his initial salary to be spread out over nearly four years.

The French defender would never actually play for the club after signing his extension, sitting out the majority of the 2021/22 campaign with a toe injury before spending last season out on loan in Italy with Lecce to prove his fitness.

Umtiti managed 25 appearances for Lecce last season - the most he has managed since the 2017/18 campaign.