Barcelona defender Umtiti to join Serie A club Lecce on loan

BARCELONA: Barcelona's French defender Samuel Umtiti will join Serie A club Lecce on loan until June 30 next year, the Spanish club announced on Thursday.

As per Barcelona, the newly-promoted Serie A club has taken Umtiti for one season with no option to buy.

"FC Barcelona and Unione Sportiva Lecce of Italian Serie A have reached an agreement on the loan of defender Samuel Umtiti until 30 June 2023. There is no purchase option," the club said in a statement.

The 28-year-old won Italy's Serie B last season and are now back playing at the highest level of Italian football.

Umtiti came to FC Barcelona in the summer of 2016 from Olympique Lyonnais. In six seasons at the club, he has made 133 appearances, including 91 in La Liga and 22 in the Champions League. He has scored two goals, one in the 2016/17 league season and another the season after.

The defender has won seven different trophies -- two Ligas (2017/18 & 2018/19), three Copas del Rey (2016/17, 2017/18 & 2020/21), two Spanish Super Cups (2016/17 & 2018/19) -- in the Barcelona jersey.

In his time as a Barca player, he also won the 2018 World Cup with France.