Barcelona can now officially sign Ferran Torres after tying Samuel Umtiti to a new contract until 2026 with a reduced salary.
Barça announced that it had reached an agreement to sign Torres from Manchester City for 55 million euros (46 million pounds sterling / 62 million dollars) at the end of December, ending his 16-month stay in the Premier League.
The club subsequently revealed that they would have to further reduce their payroll to register the 21-year-old, and Umtiti made the sacrifice by accepting a pay cut to extend his six-year stint at Camp Nou.
What did Barcelona confirm?
Barça has confirmed the news in an official statement, which states: “FC Barcelona and the first team player Samuel Umtiti have reached an agreement to extend the latter’s contract until June 30, 2026. The French defender reduces a part of the salary that he had to receive in the year and a half that remains of his contract.
“This contract extension operation does not imply major financial commitments for FC Barcelona in relation to the player. FC Barcelona wants to publicly express its gratitude to Samuel Umtiti for his willingness and the affection he has shown towards the club ”.
“With this contract extension, FC Barcelona will be able to increase its share of ‘financial fair play’ and thus register Ferran Torres in the Spanish Professional Soccer League”.
When could Torres debut?
If Torres’s registration goes smoothly, he could be online to make his Barcelona debut in the next 10 days.
The Spanish international published a positive test for COVID-19 last week and is currently in quarantine, meaning Wednesday’s Spanish Super Cup semi-final clash with archrival Real Madrid is coming too soon.
As Torres will not be available for that match, it is likely that he will make his debut in the round of 16 of Barça’s Copa del Rey against Athletic Club on January 19, or in the La Liga match against Alavés on January 23. . His first home game against Nou Camp fans would likely be a major La Liga tilt against Atlético Madrid on February 6.
Umtiti’s Barça career continues
Umtiti initially joined Barça from Lyon in 2016 and has since helped the club win seven national trophies.
Speculation about the Frenchman’s future had been raging for the past few months as he fell from grace, leading to ties to a number of foreign clubs, including Premier League Newcastle. Umtiti was rumored to have turned down several new contract offers in recent weeks, and it is unclear what ultimately led him to accept the terms at a reduced salary.
Umtiti has only appeared once for Barça in all competitions this period, but the club has shown its faith by awarding him a new long-term contract and will now seek to break through to Xavi’s plans as the second half of the 2021 season- 22. the campaign is in full swing. With Barcelona looking to ditch several players this winter due to the financial situation, signing Umtiti to a new contract is a real sign of intention, even with the reduced salary.