Barcelona and Lecce, promoted this season in Italian Serie A, "have reached an agreement for the loan of the defender until June 30, 2023" without an option to buy, the Catalan club announced on its website.
The Italian formation specifies that the ex-Lyonnais, aged 28, must arrive in the evening to "pass his medical examination".
Umtiti is one of the players that FC Barcelona wanted to see leave before the end of the transfer window on September 1, in particular to be able to go under the salary cap and be able to officially register their rookie Jules Koundé.
The president of Lecce, Saverio Sticchi Damiani, stressed on Saturday that he was closely examining the situation of the French international, who is seeking to revive after an almost white season, still disturbed by injuries.
According to Sky Sport Italia and Spanish radio La Cope, an agreement was reached at the end of last week, providing in particular for the payment of the player's salary by the Catalan club.
Trained in Lyon, the powerful French defender joined Barcelona in 2016. Despite a fragile knee, he shone during the 2018 World Cup, notably scoring the winning goal against Belgium (1-0) in the semi-final.
But he has since chained injuries and played less and less, falling back in the hierarchy of defenders in Barcelona.
Last season, he only played one game, in December 2021. In January, he had surgery after breaking his foot.
Under contract with Barça until 2026, he has not played with the Blues since June 2019 and a defeat in Turkey (0-2).
© 2022 AFP