According to Daily Star, Manchester United are plotting a move for Samuel Umtiti. The Barcelona defender is available in the market after being deemed surplus to requirements at Camp Nou. The Spanish giants are willing to cash in on him or send him out on loan, with Manchester United now being joined by Arsenal as potential destinations for the Frenchman.
Samuel Umtiti’s Struggles At Barcelona
Samuel Umtiti has had a massive decline in Barcelona over the past couple of years. Initially being touted as the future of the Catalan defence, the centre-back’s problems with a knee injury has seen him become an outcast under Ronald Koeman.
The Frenchman is yet to appear in 15 or more league matches in any of his last three seasons at the club. In the current squad, he has fallen behind Oscar Mingueza, Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo in the pecking order while the summer addition of Eric Garcia does not help either.
However, Umtiti is still highly rated with regards to his technical skill and defensive prowess. Although not a particularly tall defender, the former Lyon starlet is widely known for his dominance in both aerial and physical duels.
In addition to his physique, Umtiti is quite an athletic figure in defence. He is quite pacy and can cover up a lot of ground in quick time whereas his strong positioning sense and technical prowess make him a well-rounded centre-back.
Should Manchester United Take The Risk?
Despite all of Samuel Umtiti’s undoubted quality and talent, Manchester United will be taking a risk by making a move for him this summer. The Barcelona defender has had a plethora of fitness issues over the past few years, which subsequently led to his lack of game-time at Camp Nou.
It doesn’t bode well for the centre-back, especially if he is to settle in quickly in the Premier League. Man United have already had their fair share of difficulties due to the injury-prone nature of Eric Bailly, constantly over-relying on the services of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.
Umtiti certainly has the quality to dethrone Lindelof as United’s first-choice centre-back. But his poor fitness record, form and lack of game-time raises questions over his credibility at the highest level of football.
As such, it would perhaps be wiser for Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer to look elsewhere in search of defensive reinforcements, especially in the current financial climate.
