According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona is actively seeking a new destination for Samuel Umtiti, but the French midfielder is insisting on receiving his full salary before considering a departure from the club.
Barcelona had reportedly convinced Umtiti to leave on a free transfer this summer after his loan spell at Lecce. However, Umtiti has rejected the offer and expressed his desire to fulfill his contract with Barcelona until June 2026.
Sources indicate that Barcelona is unable to meet the salary obligations owed to Umtiti. The French midfielder currently earns nearly 100,000 euros per week at Barcelona, as reported by Salary Sport. The club still owes Umtiti 1.5 years' worth of salary from his previous contract, which is valid until June 2023.
In January 2022, Umtiti agreed to a 10% salary reduction when he extended his contract with Barcelona until 2026. As part of the agreement, the former Lyon midfielder consented to the gradual payment of the outstanding salary owed by the Catalan club, spread over the course of the 2025/26 season.
If Barcelona decides to terminate Umtiti's contract, they would also incur additional financial compensation for the remaining three years of the agreement.
Umtiti is not the only player facing salary disputes with Barcelona. Frenkie de Jong and Martin Braithwaite are cited as other examples.
In August 2022, Braithwaite also refused to leave Barcelona and announced his intention to stay until his contract expires in June 2024. A month later, the club decided to honor the Danish striker's contract and pay his salary.
After completing the signing of Ilkay Gundogan from Manchester City, Barcelona is still struggling to create financial room in their salary budget to facilitate their transfer plans. Several players, including De Jong, Franck Kessie, Ferran Torres, and Clement Lenglet, could potentially be offloaded this summer.
Mundo Deportivo has also shed light on the dire financial situation at Barcelona. When coach Xavi requested an increase in salaries for his assistants, the club responded by suggesting that the former Spanish international utilize his own salary increase from the 2022/23 season to cover the additional costs.
