By Daily sports on July 5, 2021

Barcelona have offered to release Miralem Pjanic and Samuel Umtiti from their contracts, Goal understands, as the midfielder and defender do not fit into Ronald Koeman’s plans for the future.

Pjanic, 31, joined from Juventus last summer in a deal worth €60 million (£55m/$67m) but started only six of the 13 Liga games in which he featured last season.

Umtiti meanwhile has not been able to hold on to a place in the starting XI since arriving from Lyon five years ago and was also limited to just 13 league matches in 2020-21.

Barcelona want to offload the pair this summer, but their departures will not prove so easy.

The Camp Nou side will have to pay them off, given Pjanic has three years left on his contract and Umtiti's runs for another two seasons.

Barca will sit down to negotiate with the two players with the hope of convincing them to accept a compensation package. If they refuse, however, the club will have to pay them the full salary for the rest of their contracts.

Why do Barca want to release them?

The Catalan club are trying to free up space in the squad and their budget.

Francisco Trincao is the latest figure to leave Barcelona, having joined Wolves on loan with an option to buy on Sunday. He follows Jean-Clair Todibo and Juan Miranda on the way out of Camp Nou.

Meanwhile, the club have not given up on tying Lionel Messi to a new contract after his deal expired at the end of June.

Barca have already signed Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia on free transfers this summer, while Emerson Royal was purchased from Real Betis. (Goal)

•PHOTO: Miralem Pjanic and Samuel Umtiti 

Source Daily sports

Posted July 5, 2021

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