Samuel Umtiti felt “imprisoned for four years” during his time as a Barcelona player

Although Samuel Umtiti is still registered as a Barcelona player, the Frenchman has no future at the club. He is currently on loan at Lecce, and despite the fact that he will return at the end of the season, he is not expected to stay for long.

Much was expected of Umtiti when he joined Barcelona from Lyon in 2016. Despite a promising first two seasons, his spell in Catalonia has been disastrous, although he should be put out of his misery this summer as the two parties prepare to part ways.

Speaking to Canal+ (via Diario AS), Umtiti opened up on his time at Barcelona, and he gave a very damning evaluation of the club’s treatment of him.

“All I needed was to feel appreciated, useful and respected. In Catalonia I spent four years in prison, not only at the sporting level, but in everyday life.”

Between 2018 and 2022, Umtiti rarely featured for Barcelona due to a number of injury issues, as well as being unfancied by various managers, the latest of which was Xavi Hernandez, who sent him on loan to Lecce last summer.

The Serie A side are interested in making the deal permanent, while Umtiti himself is keen on a return to Lyon. Either way, it is extremely likely that he will be on his way out of Barcelona this summer.