After the frustration, the suspense.
While Samuel Umtiti has just resumed individual training and aims to return to competition at the end of the month, he has been placed on the transfer list by his club and could pack his bags by closure transfer window, October 5.
The summer for the 26-year-old defender has been particularly difficult.
The Barcelonan had returned to competition after confinement, but he had to stop for "knee discomfort", according to the club's medical statement in early July.
According to close sources, the player came out of the deconditioned confinement, while his left knee with degraded cartilage requires him to follow a precise treatment protocol.
This consists in particular in developing the muscles around the knee to avoid putting too much strain on the knee.
The former Lyonnais then contracted the Covid-19, probably in contact with a teammate.
Allowed to train after having finally performed two negative tests, he should be able to resume competition in two to three weeks.
At the same time, the player's situation became clearer.
After months of letting the Spanish press filter the intention to part ways with the player without showing the same position with the player, Barca have clarified the situation.
Unlike Luis Suarez or Ivan Rakitic, the defender was not directly told that he was unwanted by new coach Ronald Koeman.
But its representatives have been informed that the club are in favor of a transfer, in a difficult economic context for the Catalan giant.
No club able to make such a transfer
Long impervious to any idea of leaving, dreaming of one day becoming Barça captain, Samuel Umtiti would have realized the precariousness of his situation in Catalonia after two difficult seasons.
Even if he hopes to have the opportunity to convince his new coach, the left-hander would now be open to a departure to try to get out of a situation which is also made complex by the competition for his position as Clément Lenglet.
Umtiti, who is unlikely to be transferable at the moment anyway, would allow himself a fortnight to assess his options.
The situation should therefore not settle before the final stretch of the transfer window.
Another major problem arises.
No club today seems able to make a transfer and take charge of Samuel Umtiti's salary - valued between 7 and 8 million euros net per year.
In this configuration, the Spanish media spoke of an exchange between Memphis Depay and the world champion.
An economically unfeasible operation for OL.
In the urgency of the end of the transfer window, the possibility of a loan, probably with a purchase option, could be studied by the Catalan club.
This seems to be the only possibility today in the face of the doubts of the big European clubs on the health of the player.
After the departure of Thiago Silva, PSG are looking for a central defender and / or a defensive midfielder.
It also targets loan formulas and French players.
Despite these points of convergence, Paris, which already has two left-handed central defenders in its ranks (Kimpembe and Diallo), has not taken any steps towards the former Lyonnais.