Mercato OL: Umtiti not in the plans, Caleta-Car in the sights?
Samuel Umtiti is not expected to return to OL this summer, following the termination of his contract with FC Barcelona. Former Marseille striker Duje Caleta-Car, on the other hand, is said to appeal to Lyon.
Following in the footsteps of Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso last season, will OL bring back Samuel Umtiti (29) this summer, after he returned to soccer with Lecce last season and was recently released from his contract by Barça? The idea appealed to the player and many Lyon fans.
Several media outlets have also mentioned this possibility, deeming it credible. However, according to the latest information from L'Equipe, Umtiti is not one of the players being considered by Lyon to strengthen their central defense this summer. Castello Lukeba is being courted by Leipzig and has a good chance of being sold.
OL consider former OM defender
However, unless the situation changes in the coming weeks, Umtiti is unlikely to be his successor at Lyon. On Tuesday, Foot Mercato reported that Matthieu Louis-Jean, OL's new head of recruitment, was interested in Duje Caleta-Car, the former OM central defender.
The 26-year-old Croatian is coming off a difficult season with Southampton, who were relegated to the Championship and where he barely played. Under contract with the Saints until 2026, he was transferred last summer for €8 million and is certainly not worth any more a year later.
According to FM, OL are targeting an experienced defender who speaks French and knows Ligue 1 well. Duje Caleta-Car ticks these boxes and also speaks Croatian... like Dejan Lovren. A credible lead, which has yet to be confirmed by other sources.