Barcelona sign Lyon defender Samuel Umtiti on five-year deal

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of France defender Samuel Umtiti from Lyon.

“FC Barcelona have signed 22-year-old French international defender Samuel Umtiti from Olympique Lyonnais for the next five seasons,” the club announced on their website on Tuesday.

“FC Barcelona have paid €25 million for the player. Umtiti’s buyout clause is €60 million.

“The player comes to FC Barcelona to reinforce the defence for Luis Enrique’s team. The Frenchman can play at the centre of defence or at left back.

“Despite his youth, he has played 170 games for Olympique, acting as captain on several occasions. Even though he is not a goalscoring defender, he has scored a total of five goals in his five seasons with the French club’s first team. He has represented France at all levels, making his debut for the full national team in the recent Euro2016 tournament in France. He made his debut against Iceland in the quarter-finals and played in both the semi-final and the final.”

Umtiti will arrive in Barcelona on Thursday for a photo session and undergo a medical before signing his contract.

He will be officially presented to the media on Friday.