The announcement of FC Barcelona's renewal of Samuel Umtiti's contract until 2026 was a real media bombshell, and will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the winter market for the 2021/22 season.
Many fans may not understand how the French defender could have gone from being at the top of the transfer list to extending his contract with the club until 2026.
Umtiti, who had a contract until June 2023, became linked with Barcelona until June 2026. But this does not mean that he is entering into the sporting plans of Xavi Hernandez or the sports management.
It's about re-adjusting his contract to release a portion of the team's salaries and unlock the possibility of new signings while both sides continue to search for formulas so Samuel can play for another team.
This process will be in line with the process already implemented with Philippe Coutinho's move to Aston Villa, one of the economic and sporting burdens for the team in the 2021/22 season.
Thus, Umtiti cut his salary by 10% of the total salary he should have taken in the remaining year-and-a-half of his current contract through 2023, in addition to accepting the inclusion of variables. And that 90% of what he will get will be divided into four and a half years, which is the term of the new contract he signed now.
It is clear that with this formula, the French central defender immediately contributes to reducing the current salary block of the team, which is an indispensable condition for the completion of the registration of Ferran Torres, which has already been implemented.
In addition, the annual impact of Umtiti's wages on Barcelona's accounts is significantly reduced, prolonging the period of economic relief over time. Finally, his salary becomes accessible to the clubs who may be interested in acquiring his services, even if they are on loan and bear a part of this premium wage.
A complex process, from the authentic chemistry of 'Mercato' and this at first can cause surprise and even astonishment among Barcelona fans. But this, under the current circumstances, cannot be the lesser of two evils just by unlocking the Ferran Torres situation. It could also be a short-term or medium-term solution to the Samuel Umtiti case.
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