Sport has recently provided an update on the future of Barcelona outcast Samuel Umtiti. It is believed that the Barca centre-back is gathering interest from Besiktas, OGC Nice and Monaco but the player wants a move to a top European club this summer (via Sport).
Umtiti’s Mounting Frustrations At Catalonia
Umtiti had a tough season in Spanish football as he missed a lot of key matches because of a serious knee injury. The French defensive ace struggled to earn a regular starting place in Ronald Koeman’s first-team in the previous campaign which has now put his future at Barcelona in doubt.
The Yaunde-born talent made 16 appearances for the Catalan outfit last season, picking up two yellow cards in the process across various competitions. Most of the 27-year-old’s game time came off the bench which explains why he could only average 0.4 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 1.1 clearances per game in La Liga. However, he was an excellent distributor of the ball after completing 93.8% of his attempted passes in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Umtiti is in dire need to switch clubs in this off-season so that he can get his career back on track. Koeman has shown no indication that he would use the Frenchman more often next season. Therefore, it would be a good move for both the player and the Catalan club to part ways with each other before the transfer deadline.
Is Umtiti’s Time With Barcelona Coming To An End This Summer?
On his day, Umtiti can be a capable centre-back inside his half as he can get stuck in with some crunching tackles to hamper the opponent’s flow in the game. He usually doesn’t take too many chances with his clearances when the opposition are on the front foot.
The 31-time France international is a brilliant passer of the ball and can play his way out from the back. However, he has to figure out a way to overcome his injury problems and secure a regular run of games at the highest level in the coming seasons.
At the moment, Umtiti seems like he is living on borrowed time at the Nou Camp. Barca can benefit from getting his name off their wage bill which will ease their current financial difficulties a little going into the new campaign. All in all, it’s safe to assume that Umtiti’s spell with the Catalan giants is coming to an end as the player will also be eager to get his future sorted as soon as possible so that he can concentrate on matters on the pitch.
