Barcelona identify top name to offload this summer but €20 million salary proving to be hindrance - Reports
Barcelona have reportedly identified Samuel Umtiti as the top name to offload before the end of the month.
According to the Athletic, the business done before June 30 will help La Liga determine Barca's salary cap for the upcoming season. The club have ensured Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Francisco Trinaco won't be on their books next summer.
They seemingly want to send Umtiti down the same road. After coming through Lyon's youth team and spending 14 years on the club's books, he joined Barcelona in 2016 for €25 million.
After a promising start to life in Catalonia, Umtiti's relevance in their first team has faded. The 29-year-old hasn't made more than 13 La Liga starts since the start of the 2018-19 season.
Barca let him join Lecce on a season-long loan last summer for €500,000, but they are keen to ensure that he doesn't return to the Camp Nou at the end of his deal. However, the Frenchman's reported €20 million annual salary is proving to be a hindrance in Barca's efforts to offload him. His deal with the La Liga outfit expires in the summer of 2026, but the club are open to letting him leave as a free agent.
Barcelona are also in talks to offload Umtiti's compatriot, Clement Lenglet, to Tottenham Hotspur. According to SPORT, Lenglet has reached an agreement in principle to join Spurs on a three-year deal.
Ousmane Dembele happy with Barcelona's season
Barca star Ousmane Dembele didn't have a lot to complain about as he reflected on his team's 2022-23 season.
The Blaugrana won La Liga for the first time since the 2018-19 season and also lifted the Supercopa de Espana. Asked to give his verdict on the campaign, Dembele told the club's website earlier this month:
"This season has been good for Barcelona. We won the league. It is always good to get this title and even more after going three years without winning it. We have given Barcelona fans great joy, and for that we are also happy."
One area where Barca will be desperate to improve is their performance in Europe. They have been eliminated in the UEFA Champions League group stage in consecutive seasons for the first time.
Manager Xavi Hernandez will hope Dembele helps him achieve European glory next season. According to journalist Fernando Polo (h/t transfer expert Fabrizio Romano), Barca have been informed by the player's agent that he will stay beyond the summer.
Talks are progressing well to extend the French superstar's contract, which expires in 2024.