Samuel Umtiti

BARCELONA: Barcelona have completed the signing of France defender Samuel Umtiti from Lyon in a deal worth 25 million euros ($27.7 million), the Spanish champions announced yesterday. Umtiti, 22, will pen a five-year contract with Barcelona which includes a buy-out clause of 60 million euros, the club said in a statement. Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed last month that the two clubs had reached an agreement over the transfer while Umtiti was on international duty for France at Euro 2016.

The Cameroon-born centre-back made his France debut in the quarterfinals against Iceland and retained his place in the team for the next two matches, including Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Portugal in the final.

Umtiti, who can also play at left-back, will be officially presented as a Barcelona player on Friday after undergoing a medical at the Camp Nou. He will compete for playing time with Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano and France team-mate Jeremy Mathieu, whose injury prompted Didier Deschamps to call up Umtiti for the European Championship. Umtiti, an under-20 World Cup winner in 2013, becomes Barca’s second signing of the summer after the Catalan giants exercised a buy-back clause to re-sign midfielder Denis Suarez from Villarreal last week.

In Glasgow, Mark Warburton’s success in steering Scottish giants Rangers back into the Premiership earned him a much improved three-year contract yesterday. The 53-year-old Englishman-who took over at Rangers last year after a successful stint at unfashionable English side Brentford-had his present contract, which had two years remaining on it, ripped up and replaced by a three-year deal. His assistant, former Rangers and Scotland defensive pillar, David Weir-who worked with him at Brentford-was also rewarded with a similarly improved offer.

“Our decision to reward Mark and David with significantly improved contracts was primarily driven by our recognition of their role in transforming the football department at all levels throughout the club and their desire to continue with that project in the seasons ahead,” said Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson. “We have sold more than 41,000 season tickets and, like everyone at the club, our supporters are looking forward to seeing the team compete in the top flight once again - both domestically and in Europe.” Warburton, who has forged a successful managerial career despite never playing in league football, said it was a privilege to be in such a prestigious job.

“I have said this many times since moving to Glasgow but it really is a huge honour and privilege to be manager of Rangers Football Club and I am thrilled to agree a new contract,” said Warburton, who also guided Rangers to the Scottish Cup final last term after a sensational semi-final victory over bitter city rivals Celtic. “Our debut campaign in Scotland was certainly a positive one but we are all working tirelessly to deliver continued success for our fans.”— Agencies