Samuel Umtiti Expected to Move to Manchester

As a promising player Samuel Umtiti joined Barcelona in 2016, where he became an irreplaceable part of the team. However, after recent injuries and new plans, Barcelona made for their future, the French defender just might be at the exit doors of the Spanish club.

Samuel Umtiti of FC Barcelona
BARCELONA, SPAIN – MARCH 9: Samuel Umtiti of FC Barcelona during the La Liga Santander match between FC Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano at the Camp Nou on March 9, 2019 in Barcelona Spain (Photo by Jeroen Meuwsen/Soccrates/Getty Images)

The 25-year old Samuel Umtiti has established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe with his phenomenal performances in Barcelona, where he perfected his skills and with that put himself on the radar of many football giants who are lining up to sign him. Since Samuel Umtiti arrival at the Catalans, he racked up 93 appearances, won the LaLiga Title and two Copa del Rey trophies. Additionally, he was a big part of the French team in 2018, when they won the World Cup. With an impressive trophy cabinet, Samuel Umtiti will have more than enough chances to add more trophies and titles to his name, no matter which club he ends in, however as it seems now there is one league that is calling his name. That is the English Premier League, now that his skills are sought after from teams like Manchester United and Manchester City.

Samuel Umtiti latest matches statistics , FC Barcelona
Image source: Screenshot taken from whoscored.com

Despite his impressive performances in LaLiga, as well as in the 2018 World Cup, Samuel Umtiti had to deal with injuries which were a big part of this season. Looking at the 2018/19 season, Samuel Umtiti only appeared for Barcelona 10 times, due to a serious knee injury, that saw him sidelined from the end of September till the end of February, which combined 126 days and 27 league matches missed. During that time, Barcelona had to find a replacement in the back, which they have found in Clement Lenglet, who found his place in the team and is now considered a preferred option over Samuel Umtiti. Additionally, Barcelona are looking to sign the Ajax defender, Matthijs de Ligt, which means Umtiti’s time at the Catalan team has come to an end. But of course, this does not mean the end for his career, as he is being approached by both Manchester clubs, who saw potential in the player and believe he will be a great addition to the team once he returns from the injury.

Manchester United are desperately in a need of new defenders, who will be able to strengthen their mediocre backline prior to the 2019/20 season. Despite having plenty of options, Samuel Umtiti seems to be the player on the club radar for a while, and with recent news of Barcelona being willing to sell him, United did not take a long time to express their desire to bring Umtiti in the squad.

On the other side, Samuel Umtiti has also been linked with Manchester City, who will look to add some youth to their defence, as club captain Vincent Kompany will be 33 by the time 2019/20 season starts. Kompany contract is also coming to an end, however, it’s expected he will make a new deal with the club. Nonetheless, some fresh legs are needed and Umtiti seems to be the perfect option.

Samuel Umtiti is contracted with Barcelona until 2023, due to the recent extension he signed, but as mentioned, due to his injuries and new potential additions for Barcelona, Samuel Umtiti’s services will most likely not be needed. While it’s all still up in the air, we do believe if the deal with de Ligt goes through, Samuel Umtiti will be listed for sale rather quickly. At the end of the day, Samuel Umtiti market value is set at £63.00m, which is something both Manchester City and Manchester United need to decide on if the given price is something they will be prepared to pay for this great defender, who would be a great addition to any team he joins.

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