Barcelona defender linked with move to Benfica - Reports
Over the last few weeks, Barcelona have been trying to offload some of their players to lower their wage bill. It seems luck has finally smiled on them, as Benfica have emerged as suitors for one of their wantaway stars.
As per reports, the Portuguese outfit are keen on signing French defender Samuel Umtiti this summer. Sources claim that their manager Jorge Jesus has asked the Benfica board to seal a deal for the Barcelona star.
Benfica suffered a major setback when their centre-back Jan Vertonghen picked up a muscle injury on August 11. That forced the club to look for an emergency option to fill in for the Belgian, with Umtiti appearing at the top of their target list.
Umtiti's future at Camp Nou has been a subject of speculation throughout the summer. The defender has reportedly reached the end of the road in Catalonia, with Barcelona looking to get rid of him and a few other players to lower their wage bill in line with the La Liga wage cap.
As things currently stand, the Blaugrana risk missing out on the registration of their recent signings unless they reduce their wage bill by €187 million.
The likes of Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royale switched to the Catalan capital this summer. But their participation in the upcoming season will depend on whether the club succeeds in trimming their wage bill in line with La Liga's rules.
How much will Barcelona get from selling Samuel Umtiti?
It is still unclear how much Barcelona would pocket from the transfer of Samuel Umtiti. While some sources have claimed that Benfica could pay up €10 million to sign the Frenchman this summer, others believe he could be allowed to join the Portuguese side for free just to take his wages off the Blaugrana's wage bill.
Umtiti made just 16 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions last season, as he struggled for fitness throughout the campaign. Thus it remains to be seen if the defender will make the move to the Portuguese top flight this term.