5 probable destinations for Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti

Samuel Umtiti is all but certainly going to leave Barcelona in 2020, so here’s a look at five possible destinations for the World Cup winner.

Barcelona central defender Samuel Umtiti has fallen out of favour since the last two seasons following how well Clement Lenglet has done. The France international was tipped to have a glorious career at the Camp Nou, but consistent injury issues have seen him flop in La Liga. Umtiti has showed that he is not bad and still has a lot in him, but those at Barca right now are all a step above him.

An exit from Catalonia beckons for the former Lyon defender and by the looks of it, Umtiti will be heading out in the winter or at most during next summer. Some clubs have shown interest in signing him, while others have monitored his situation but are yet to make a formal approach. Here are five potential destinations for the Frenchman to go to after Barcelona where he can play regularly and regain his form.

Juventus

Juventus do not have a centre-back for the future apart from Matthijs de Ligt since their two veterans in Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are both ageing. Daniele Rugani does not seem to be interested in staying in Italy for much longer and on the bench, while Merih Demiral is still long way from being a starter for the Italians.

Samuel Umtiti would be a great signing for Maurizio Sarri’s side and playing in a relatively lesser competitive league could also help the player in building confidence and regaining quality. Juventus also have the money to accommodate Barcelona’s demands of a transfer fee and pay a decent wage to the player.

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola’s side has now gone winless in three of its last four Premier League fixtures. Manchester United were the latest team to get the better of them and send the Citizens 14 points behind Liverpool and eight behind Leicester City in the Premier League’s title race. That is primarily due to a lack of central defenders after Aymeric Laporte’s injury.

Since the former Athletic Bilbao man injured himself, Pep’s options have been sparse and he has resorted to playing Fernandinho in the heart of the backline as well. As such, the defending PL champions haven’t even replaced Kompany since his departure, so Umtiti would be a great signing given that they are likely to look for a defender in January.

Manchester United

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won the last two matches against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, thereby keeping his job for the foreseeable future. The Norwegian is most likely going to request for a central defender’s signing as similar to his rival in Pep Guardiola, his options in that position have been short. Umtiti would be a fantastic signing.

Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have been anchoring the Red Devils’ defence since the start of the season and on the bench, there is the unreliable and mistake-prone Phil Jones. Should Manchester United sign Samuel Umtiti from Barcelona, he will become a starter by most probably relegating Victor Lindelof to a second fiddle role, but whether United will invest on a centre back in January remains to be seen after their recent spending on Maguire.

Arsenal

Arsenal had shown interest in Samuel Umtiti throughout last summer, but eventually settled for David Luiz, who they signed from Chelsea.

The Brazilian defender has been more of a liability for the Gunners and has also affected Sokratis’ game in a negative manner. The north Londoners are now seeking relief from Luiz soon but will have to sign a replacement.

By no chance is Shkodran Mustafi going to be trusted in the centre of defence in the Premier League and hence, it is best that Arsenal pursue a move for Samuel Umtiti. But it is difficult to see the player saying yes to a club that is going downward and likely to miss out on the Europa League as well in the next season.

Chelsea

Chelsea will be in the transfer market during January and with a handsome budget as well, courtesy of Eden Hazard’s sale and a barren transfer period during the summer. Frank Lampard has emphasized the importance of the defenders to his setup, and unfortunately he does not have the players that he would like in his roster.

Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori have started regularly together this season, but with Antonio Rudiger having returned from injury, the former is likely to drop to the bench. Nevertheless, the Blues will still pursue a move for a centre back during the winter, so Samuel Umtiti is a target for them and he will certainly be a frequent fixture in Lampard’s starting eleven.

Where do you think Samuel Umtiti would be most successful after leaving Barcelona?