Samuel Umtiti's final farewell to Barcelona is approaching. The centre-back is having a good season at Lecce and has regained his confidence, attracting the interest of many Serie A teams. The player himself admitted that Olympique Lyon could be his next destination and that he is talking about it with Lacazette, the French side's striker. "We really talked about the fact that we would like to play together again before the end of our careers. It's still too early to say," Umtiti told Canal Plus.
Umtiti wanted to return to Lyon last summer and offered himself on similar financial terms to those he has had at Lecce, but the French side declined to sign him due to doubts over his fitness. Once he seems to have recovered, the door to return to Lyon could open and Umtiti could undoubtedly opt to return to the club that saw him first succeed as a professional footballer.
The French centre-back commented that he had made the right decision by signing for Lecce, a club he is grateful to for the opportunity they gave him to feel like a footballer again. "Everyone thought my career was over, but I came to Italy to recover and feel good as a footballer so I could reach the heights again. Lecce has been a springboard where I've felt very good and I've been able to show what I can do."
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Barça have already told Umtiti that the club's intention is to terminate his contract, which expires in 2026. The Frenchman renewed to spread his contract over more seasons to help lower the salary cap and that makes him a more attractive player on the market. The idea of the Blaugrana is to listen to offers because it is clear that there will be a transfer even if it is for a low amount. In principle, Inter Milan and Roma are interested in the player, but Umtiti will have the last word and a return to Ligue 1 and Olympique Lyon is very attractive to him.