Man United Opinion: Red Devils should beat their rivals to sign Samuel Umtiti

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, as quoted by Manchester Evening News, World Cup-winning centre-back Samuel Umtiti is likely to depart Barcelona in the summer.

The same report claims that Umtiti is likely to join either Man United or Man City should he head for the exit door at Camp Nou.

Barcelona’s pursuit of Ajax starlet Matthijs de Ligt has put a big question mark on Umtiti’s future at the club. Umtiti, though, won’t come cheap even if he is put up for sale in the summer, with his current contract at Barcelona set to expire in 2023.

Quite understandably, the Catalans would be keen to recoup the fee that they would have to spend to bring de Ligt to the club. (h/t Manchester Evening News)

Umtiti established himself as a rock at the back for France to help his nation to victory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia last summer but things have gone downhill for the 25-year-old ever since.

The Frenchman has spent large quarters of the ongoing season on the sidelines to nurse an injury, which has limited his involvement to only 8 starts in the La Liga.

The former Lyon man starred with his consistently impressive performances at the back for Barcelona since his arrival in 2016 but it looks like his time at Camp Nou could come to a premature end.

To put things into perspective, Man United can bag a massive coup by beating their bitter rivals to land the French World Cup-winning centre-back in the summer.

Umtiti is currently one of the hottest defensive properties in Europe and he would certainly be an upgrade on their existing options at the back.

United were flying high under their interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after beating PSG in the Champions League but back-to-back defeats at the hands of Arsenal in the Premier League and Wolves in the FA Cup have brought the fans crashing down to the earth.

The Red Devils have enjoyed a remarkable upturn of form under the Norwegian but the manager still has plenty of loose ends to tie if he wants to build a team capable of challenging for silverware in the Premier League and Champions League next term.

were flying high under their interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after beating PSG in the Champions League but back-to-back defeats at the hands of Arsenal in the Premier League and Wolves in the FA Cup have brought the fans crashing down to the earth.

The Red Devils have enjoyed a remarkable upturn of form under the Norwegian but the manager still has plenty of loose ends to tie if he wants to build a team capable of challenging for silverware in the Premier League and Champions League next term.

One area that Solskjaer should be keen to bolster is the central defence. Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling have done pretty well in recent months but United need to get rid of players like Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly, with both the out-of-favour defenders struggling to find their feet.

Phil Jones has once again struggled with injuries and United need a world-class centre-back to challenge for the title next season, although they have looked much more secure at the back since Solskjaer’s arrival.

Samuel Umtiti, with his well-rounded attributes, definitely fits the bill at Old Trafford. The Frenchman is not particularly tall but he is quite good in the air and fast across the ground, whilst also possessing the strength to deal with physically dominating strikers.

Known for his ball-playing abilities, the 25-year-old also has a good passing technique for a centre-back, which not only allows him to play the ball out from the back but also set up attacks with precise long balls.

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A player of Umtiti’s stature won’t come cheap and United will have to break the bank to sign him but it should be an investment worth it. The Frenchman is a proven talent at the highest level and he certainly has what it takes to propel the club to greater heights.