Barcelona could decide to scrap Samuel Umtiti's contract after failing to agree a reduction on his £208,000-per-year salary, according to reports.
The club have been looking to shift the French defender after struggles for fitness and form in recent months, but could not finalise an exit for him in the summer. Barca are still in a difficult situation financially and are keen to offload their high-earning deadwood.
And Barcelona have now reached the point where they could simply terminate Umtiti's deal at the Nou Camp after negotiations to cut his pay went nowhere, as reported by Spanish outlet Sport.
Club chiefs are 'studying their options' because they 'suffer the consequences of a very high salary and zero performance' on the pitch, the report adds, having failed to play a minute of action this season.
He was frozen out by previous boss Ronald Koeman and new coach Xavi Hernandez does not rate him either, it says, with an exit and contract termination now seen as the best option for all parties.
The 28-year-old was once a highly-rated centre-back after arriving at Barca from Lyon for around £20million in 2016. He was a first choice member of the squad for his first two seasons - playing 83 times across both campaigns.
But he began picking up a host of injury problems to see his minutes decrease. He started just six times in LaLiga last season, and ten times the year before that.
Umtiti has struggled with persistent knee injuries since 2018. He was offered the chance to have surgery on the problem that same year, but turned it down in order to have a chance of playing in the Russia World Cup - which he won with France.
The issue kept him out for five months last season - testing positive for Covid-19 durnig his recovery to further blight his progress.
Barcalover
31
The only time I want to see this guy on pitch is when he is playing against Barca and Barca trash his team by 5 - 0