According to a recent report by Tuttomercatoweb, Arsenal are leading the race to secure the services of Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti this summer and have tabled a loan-to-buy offer for him. The same source has revealed that the proposal will include an initial €5m loan fee followed by an option to make the deal permanent for €40m.
The French defensive ace has been a sporadic option for Ernesto Valverde’s side this season. He had missed a major bulk of this season after sustaining a knee injury which has also hampered his development as a footballer. Hence, switching clubs in the summer might help him rekindle his career in European football.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has made a total of 10 appearances for the Catalan giants this term in all competitions. Umtiti is currently not a part of Barca’s first-team picture after losing his place to Clement Lenglet this season. The former Olympique Lyonnais sensation has gained a lot of experience at the international level, having earned 29 caps for France across different international tournaments.
There is no doubt that he will be an excellent fit for Unai Emery’s side as they have struggled to find consistency at the back this term. One can argue that a defender of Umtiti’s ilk can transform the fortunes of the Arsenal defence for the better in the coming years.
Umtiti has remarkable strength and is an outstanding athlete. He can be a defensive powerhouse inside his own box and can also be a threat from set-pieces going forward. More importantly, the French talent can assess the game well and can sense out danger which helps him nip the opposition attacks in the bud.
The potential acquisition of Umtiti will bolster Emery’s defensive options significantly at the North London club. Emery has the likes of Laurent Koscielny, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding and Konstantinos Mavropanos to rely upon who are all competing for a starting berth in his first-team. There is no doubt that Umiti’s addition will increase Arsenal’s squad depth and add more competition for places within Emery’s squad. In fact, a great argument could be made that the Barcelona defender would be an upgrade over all the abovementioned names except for maybe Koscielny.
All in all, the 25-year-old would be a fantastic signing for the Gunners if they can convince Barca to let him leave ahead of the new season.
