Benfica drop out of the race for Barcelona defender

With the January window on the horizon, clubs are busy planning their transfer strategies as they look to turn things around in the 2021/22 season.

Xavi Hernandez is intent on adding new forwards to the ranks amidst an injury crisis in the ranks. But the club’s financial situation prohibits them from going all out in the winter. Instead, the Blaugrana will need to work things out by offloading players.

One player who is expected to be on chopping blocks is defender Samuel Umtiti. The Frenchman has been out of favour at Camp Nou for quite some time now and was tipped to leave the club in the summer, only for him to convince Joan Laporta to give him another chance.

However, things have not changed for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, who did not play a single game under Ronald Koeman and made his first appearance of the season only earlier this month under Xavi in the game against Osasuna, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

With Barça looking to actively offload him, Portuguese giants SL Benfica had come forth as a suitor for Umtiti ahead of the January transfer window. The Eagles are looking to bolster their backline as they look to mount a title challenge and go the distance in the UEFA Europa League.

However, as per the latest report from Mundo Deportivo, Benfica have decided to end their pursuit of the former Olympique Lyon star. The financial aspects involved in landing the injury-prone defender are believed to be out of their means, which is why they are now looking at other options.

As for Umtiti, the Frenchman intends to stay put at Barcelona unless an offer arrives that would meet his expectations. It remains to be seen if a different suitor emerges for the services of the 28-year-old year centre-half, who still has 18 months left on his current contract with the Blaugrana.