Samuel Umtiti: "Barcelona is a great club"

Samuel Umtiti: "Barcelona is a great club"

Following the exits of Marc Bartra and Dani Alves, Barça are close to making their first official signing of the summer. It will be Lyon central defender Samuel Umtiti, who, despite participating in the European Championships, is already hinting at his excitement for the new chapter he is about to start in his footballing career. 

The negotiations between Barcelona, Olympique Lyonnais and the player have been handled discreetly in recent days, and the agreement is practically completed. There are just a few last details to resolve before the signing of the player of Cameroonian origin is a reality.

The player's brother is also his agent, and he has informed Samuel of the latest developments. When asked on Thursday about the Catalan club's interest in him, the French international responded: "Barça is a great club, and practically every player would like to play there."

However, in keeping with the prudent nature of the past week, he did not want to reveal too much: "I am handling the rumours well, I am happy to be here (at Euro 2016) and I am taking advantage of every moment. My future is being dealt with by my agents. I am not too distracted by that right now, I am focused on this competition."

The defender has not yet participated in the tournament, with coach Didier Deschamps preferring the duo of Adil Rami and Laurent Koscielny. With further rotation in the team unlikely, after the exclusion of Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba against Albania, it may not be until pre-season before Barça fans are able to witness Umtiti in action.