{"id":1092988,"date":"2019-06-10T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T08:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1092988"},"modified":"2019-06-10T09:00:57","modified_gmt":"2019-06-10T08:00:57","slug":"samuel-umtiti-barcelona-exit-valverde","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/samuel-umtiti-barcelona-exit-valverde\/","title":{"rendered":"Samuel Umtiti rules out Barcelona exit despite “complicated” season under Ernesto Valverde"},"content":{"rendered":"

Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti, who has been linked with a move away from Catalonia in the early stages of the transfer window, has played down a possible summer exit.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A serious knee injury, coupled with the emergence of\u00a0Clement Lenglet, has seen the Frenchman fall down the pecking order at the Camp Nou.<\/p>\n

Umtiti at Barca in 2018\/19: Five key things to know…<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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  1. Since signing from Lyon in 2016 Umtiti has proven a solid acquisition at the back for Barca.<\/li>\n
  2. The Frenchman played a key role in Les Bleus’ World Cup winning campaign last summer.<\/li>\n
  3. Having suffered a knee complication in 2018\/19, Umtiti mustered just 13 La Liga starts.<\/li>\n
  4. Lenglet, signed from Sevilla last summer, has formed a formidable centre-back partnership with\u00a0Gerard Pique in the absence of\u00a0Umtiti, leading to rumours<\/a> of a move to Arsenal.<\/li>\n
  5. Despite falling down the pecking order under Ernesto Valverde, Umtiti has vowed to honour his Barca contract.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7278637-klopp-must-solve-wenger-s-dilemma-to-take-liverpool-forward<\/p>\n

    In total, the 25-year-old missed 28 matches through injury, and while he has admitted the season was a “complicated” one under Ernesto Valverde, the 29-time France international has pledged to fight on.<\/p>\n

    Speaking to French outlet RTL<\/a>, he said: “I have a contract, I feel happy in Barcelona.<\/p>\n

    “I had a complicated season but that’s not a reason to have desires elsewhere. I will be at Barcelona next season.”<\/p>\n

    The defender’s comments appear to have ended the slender hopes some Arsenal fans had in regards to the Gunners’ reported interest in Umtiti.<\/p>\n