One appearance all season - Why have Barca given Umtiti a new four-year contract?

Martin Macdonald

• 10 Jan 2022 06:17 CST
• 3 min read

One of the stranger football transfer news stories this week is the announcement from Barcelona that Samuel Umtiti has extended his stay at Camp Nou until 2026.

The Blaugrana have been desperate to get rid of Umtiti for well over a year now and even offered to let the player leave as a free agent in the summer of 2021 only for him to refuse.

His career has been ravaged by injuries over the past few seasons, meaning that Barcelona ultimately sought to replace him as a left-sided central defender with Sevilla’s Clement Lenglet.

He is currently behind Lenglet, Gerard Pique, Oscar Mingueza, Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo in the pecking order in defence.

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Barcelona are in a terrible state financially and desperately need to reduce their wage bill in order to get new signings through the door.

They have already secured a big-money signing this month in the form of Ferran Torres, who joined from Manchester City for a fee of €65 million.

Up until now, the club have not been allowed to register Torres to play as the required wage bill reductions had not been met.

However, Umtiti's new four-year deal at Barcelona comes with a significant salary reduction in the first season.

It is this reduction, as well as the departure of Philippe Coutinho to Aston Villa, that has allowed Torres to finally be registered.

Barcelona's announcement

"The FC Barcelona and the player of the first team Samuel Umtiti have reached an agreement for the extension of his contract until 30 June 2026. The French defender reduce part of the salary he would receive in the year and a half he had contract .

"With this operation, the player extending his contract, the Club does not acquire any higher financial commitment with the footballer .

"FC Barcelona publicly expresses its gratitude to Samuel Umtiti for the effort and affection he has shown towards the Club. With this contract extension, FC Barcelona extends its 'fair play' and will be able to register Ferran Torres in the Professional Football League."

In a follow up Tweet, the club announced that this reduction allowed the registration of Torres.

"With this contract extension, FC Barcelona increases its 'fair play' and will be able to register @FerranTorres20 in the Professional Football League"