Barcelona have reached an agreement with Lyon to sign French defender Samuel Umtiti.
According to Lyon’s president Jean-Michel Aulas, the defender has an exclusive agreement with the club to sign for Barcelona.
The 22-year-old is one of the Spanish champions’ top summer targets alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos as they look to bolster their defence ahead of the new season.
According to reports, Umititi will sign for the Catalans in a €30 million.
“We anticipate the eventual departure of Umtiti. Samuel has an exclusive agreement for him to join Barcelona,” Aulas told RMC Sport.
The club president revealed that the deal for Umititi was like the one which took Karim Benzema to Real Madrid in 2010.
“We made a promise that if he could play for the club of his heart, he would leave. It’s part of the commitment which we have made, as was done for Karim Benzema when he went to Real Madrid.
“Right now, Samuel is with Les Bleus and is focused on the Euro and the fact that he can play Sunday against Iceland. If the three parties agree, it is possible that he will leave us.”
Barcelona won a double of the La Liga and Copa Del Rey last season after sweeping all before them to win the treble the season before.
