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According to L'Equipe, Lyon are set to make an official bid to sign defender Samuel Umtiti from Barcelona this summer.
Samuel Umtiti is reportedly not a part of Ronald Koeman's plans for Barcelona and has been told that he can leave the club if the right offer comes along.
The France international joined Barcelona from Lyon in 2016 in a deal worth €25 million. In his four seasons at Camp Nou, Umtiti has made 77 league appearances and has helped the Blaugrana win two La Liga titles.
Samuel Umtiti's stint at Barcelona has, however, been marred with injuries. His fitness problems, coupled with the form of Clement Lenglet, has seen him play a bit-part role at the club in recent times.
The defender has made 31 appearances for the French national side and was a key player in their 2018 World Cup triumph, forming a solid centre-half pairing with Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.
Samuel Umtiti could be the next big name to leave Barcelona with Lyon reportedly interested
At 26, Samuel Umtiti still has a lot to offer and has not yet reached his peak in footballing terms. He has attracted interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich this summer but may be enticed by the idea of returning to his former club Lyon, where he began his career.
The potential departure of Samuel Umtiti will add to the exits of Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, Artur Melo and Luis Suarez from Barcelona this summer. Ronald Koeman had reportedly told the aforementioned players that they do not have a future at the club.
The Dutchman is trying to start a new era at Barcelona as they look to recover from a horrendous 2019-20 season, where they finished second in La Liga behind arch-rivals Real Madrid and were kicked out of the Champions League after being humiliated by Bayern Munich in an 8-2 defeat.
A return to the old stomping grounds may well be on the cards for Samuel Umtiti. A move to Lyon may help the defender revitalise his career as he will look to earn a place in Didier Deschamps French squad for the Euro 2021, for which he faces tough competition.
