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Despite only signing a five-year contract extension in June of last year, there are indications that Barcelona are willing to listen to offers for Samuel Umtiti, with Arsenal speculated to be the frontrunners to sign him this summer.
The Frenchman began his professional career in 2012 with Lyon and having starred for the Ligue 1 side for four seasons where he made 170 appearances in all competitions scoring five goals, he signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2016 for a fee worth €25m.
Considering his pristine abilities and the hyper-inflated values in the transfer market today, that transfer was a relative steal and Umtiti went about showing his value to Barcelona, making 83 appearances in all competitions across his first two seasons in Camp Nou, winning La Liga and two Copa del Reys.
He further boosted his stock at the World Cup last summer, as he was the starting center-back in a French team which went on to win the title, scoring a crucial goal in the 1-0 victory over Belgium in the semifinal.
However, an injury-ravaged season in 2018/2019 saw him miss out on a chunk of the campaign, spending a total of 17 weeks on the treatment table which meant he missed 28 matches for Barcelona and consequently lost his starting place to compatriot Clement Lenglet.
Nevertheless, despite their stance, it might be in Barcelona's best interests to retain the services of Samuel Umtiti. In this piece, we shall be having a rundown of three reasons why Barcelona should not sell Umtiti.
#3 On his day, he remains one of the best defenders in the world
As already indicated, Samuel Umtiti did not play a part in the majority of Barcelona's campaign last season, but on the few occasions where he did play, he looked rusty and was totally off the pace. He was exploited by pacy opposition forwards who capitalized on his weakness. in calamitous displays in the 4-4 draw with Villareal and a 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo served as highlights of this.
However, given his injury-ravaged season, his underperformance was understandable, as no player returns from an injury the same, especially seeing as the joint affected was his knee (on two occasions).
Despite this, Samuel Umtiti still ranks as a bonafide world-class defender who on his day ranks high up there with the very best in the business.
He has won a total of eight trophies at club level and is also a world champion at the Under-20 level and the senior stage with the national team of France.
Umtiti possesses considerable technique on the ball which is compatible to Barcelona's pattern, while his game reading and positional awareness are also top notch and when fit, there are only a handful of defenders who can match his level of performance; so it is rather baffling that Barcelona would want to let him go.
#2 De Ligt's prolonged transfer debacle makes it imperative that he remains
It is no hidden secret that Matthijs de Ligt is one of the most sought after players in the world owing to his impressive displays at the heart of the Ajax and Netherlands defense, neither was it much of a surprise that Barcelona were interested in the 19-year-old.
For the last few months, speculations had been rife that Barcelona were favorites to sign the 2018 Golden Boy having already captured his teammate and friend Frenkie de Jong and it was seen as a matter of when and not if de Ligt would become a Blaugrana.
However, as is the case with most high profile transfers, nothing is ever straightforward and that happens to be the case with de Ligt and Barcelona, as despite the Spanish giants reportedly having agreed a fee with Ajax, the Dutch defender turned down their contract offer.
It is rumored that PSG have doubled what Barcelona are prepared to offer the youngster and with the La Liga champions steadfast in their position of not increasing their offer, this might have played a part in his decision not to accept the Catalans' bid.
If de Ligt should end up as a Barcelona player next season, then he is more than capable of replacing Umtiti, but with his arrival proving more complicated than expected, it is imperative that Samuel Umtiti remains at Barcelona.
#1 Beyond de Ligt, there are not many other options available to the club
If Samuel Umtiti were to depart Barcelona this summer, it would be imperative that the club signs a top quality center-back to replace him, as the options available at the club right now do not exactly inspire confidence.
Beyond Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet who have proven themselves, there is really no one else in the current squad who can be depended upon fully to take the mantle in Umtiti's stead.
While Pique and Lenglet might be more than capable of holding their own, they would undoubtedly need backup at one point or the other during the grueling campaign to come due to injury or fatigue and it is here that Barcelona's problem's at the heart of the defense is laid bare.
The only other recognized center-backs in the squad are Jean-Claire Todibo (who at just 19 is very much one for the future), while Colombian international Jeison Murillo was brought in on loan from Valencia in January with an option to purchase at the end of the season but seeing as he made just four appearances for Barcelona in mostly dead rubber fixtures, it looks unlikely that the club would trigger its purchasing option.
Looking around Europe, there are not too many world-class center-backs who are available to be bought and an alternative for Barcelona could be to go to the market to sign young players to help augment their defense.
However, a major drawback to this option is that many of the players in that list are relatively untested on the big stages and would not offer the experience and level of composure which Umtiti brings to the table.
Seeing as there are not too many viable options to replace Samuel Umtiti with, it stands to reason that Barcelona should retain him on their books.
