Barcelona frustrated with 28-year-old defender over botched Ligue 1 move

Samuel Umtiti was one of the players who was tipped to leave Camp Nou, in favour of a return to Ligue 1. The defender was closely linked with a move to Rennes, with coach Bruno Genesio reportedly keen on a reunion.

Barcelona were even in advanced negotiations with Rennes over the sale of Umtiti. The Catalans had taken the transfer for granted, up until the last minute, when Rennes backed out from the deal, citing concerns over the defender’s fitness.

The deal is now off, which has left Barcelona extremely disappointed and frustrated with the overall situation, reports Diario SPORT.

The Spanish news outlet suggests Rennes were not too certain of Umtiti’s physical levels while the opportunity to sign Benfica’s Marcao was too good to pass on. All of this contributed to their decision to abandon the pursuit of Umtiti, even though Genesio continued to push for his signing.

With a move to Rennes ruled out, Barcelona are now left to find a new suitor for the Frenchman, who has been nothing short of a liability at Camp Nou over the past three years.

Indeed, Umtiti has seen his career at Barça being marred by injuries and has offered very little to the table. His lucrative contract meant the club have been also trying to offload him for three straight summers but to no avail.

In an attempt to facilitate Umtiti’s move to Rennes, Barcelona were willing to offer the centre-back a letter of freedom. It had paved the way for the Ligue 1 outfit to afford Umtiti’s wages, although it appears the club must now find avenues to secure the exit of the French international.

Umtiti ideally should not have much difficulty finding a suitor, but his lucrative wages and questionable health record could continue to prove to be an obstacle for interested parties.