Barcelona not considering a return for on-loan Frenchman right now – report

Samuel Umtiti’s departure was beneficial for Barcelona for several reasons. For once, the team managed to free up some space in their wage bill and his departure also helped them sign prominent defenders who have been crucial to the team’s success this season.

But now that his loan tenure with Serie A side Lecce is set to expire at the end of the season, questions remain as to whether or not the French defender will have a place in the first team next season.

While it is indeed going to be a hot topic for debate, Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona are in no hurry to make a decision. The outlet says any decision regarding the centre-back’s future is reserved for later.

For now, the technical staff is keenly observing Umiti’s progress in the Italian Serie A. The 29-year-old World Cup winner is performing well at Lecce and is, in fact, getting regular minutes, having tallied a total of 946 minutes across 12 outings in the league.

It must be remembered that Umtiti’s ongoing deal with Barcelona runs until 2026 and there is a growing sense of belief that Barcelona would require a new centre-back next season, but the Frenchman’s name is nowhere to be seen in the list of potential candidates.

At the moment, MD brands Umtiti’s return as ‘very hasty’. It is not that the report on player’s development is not good.

On the contrary, the 29-year-old has recovered very well and is enjoying his life in Italy, but no decisions will be made while being in a state of hurry. He still has five months left in his loan contract and Barcelona are going to respect that.

Interestingly enough, another on-loan defender Sergino Dest falls under the same category. Although contrary to Umtiti’s performance, the former Ajax right-back has, in fact, struggled to put on a positive display. In any way, decision over his future is also reserved for later.