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Reports in Spain suggest that the Barcelona centre-back, Samuel Umtiti has threatened to leave the club to join Manchester United.
The Spanish transfer outlet, Don Balon have claimed that the French defender is unhappy with his current contract at the club and threatens to look for another club.
The player is believed to be asking for a pay rise that would see him earning more than € nine million-a-year.
Manchester United have deeply been interested in the French international in recent months.
Reports suggested that United were willing to trigger his buy-out clause which stands close to £54 million. Having handed Lionel Messi a bumper contract, Umtiti eyes to get a wage hike from the club.
The Frenchman was an absolute steal for Barcelona and wants himself to be paid professionally well for his performances.
He appears to be flirting with the interest from Red Devils at the moment.
Having said that, let's take a look at the potential replacements for the Frenchman at the Camp Nou.
All the statistics have been derived from squawka.com
#5 Kostas Manolas
The player is undoubtedly among the elite group of defenders in the business presently. He has showcased his quality in the Serie A and attracted the attention of some major clubs from across Europe.
The 26-year-old joined Roma in 2014 from Olympiacos. He is an essential player for the Italian side and been the key to their defence in recent years.
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Manolas has made 28 appearances in all competitions for Roma this season including six coming in the Champions League.
His quality in the air and maturity on the pitch make him invaluable. The defender avoids reckless challenges and reads the game to break down the attacking threats.
He has a passing accuracy of 88%, whereas he won 58% duels taking eight defensive actions per game, domestically.
The defender could be an adequate replacement for Umtiti at the club, considering his abilities.
Recently, clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea have been understood to be interested in the player. The Catalans would need to engage themselves in a bidding war to get their man.
#4 Marquinhos
The defender has constantly been linked with a move away from Parc Des Princes in the past few transfer windows.
The Brazilian has been in sensational form for the French side in the past couple of years. Ligue 1 fans need absolutely no introduction to the fact that he is arguably the best centre-back in France alongside Thiago Silva, his compatriot and teammate.
In 2017/18, the 23-year-old has made 33 appearances so far. His hold up on the ball and dribbling have improved massively.
He is a fantastic tackler and passer of the ball. The defender has a passing accuracy of 92% in the league and took six defensive actions per game, winning 54% duels on an average this season.
He is a player, Barcelona could bank on for at least a decade. The Spanish super-giants, however, would have to battle Manchester United for the player's signature.
#3 Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci has been one of the best defenders in the game for a few years now. He had a successful spell with the Italian Champions Juventus and formed a strong partnership with Giorgio Chiellini at the Turin club.
The Italian joined AC Milan in the summer of 2017 snubbing some major clubs, in a shock move.
However, the defender immediately regretted the decision and is reportedly eyeing an exit from the club in the summer.
He has made 39 appearances for Milan this season. In 2017/18, Bonucci has an average duel winning rate of 48% and took six defensive actions per game, domestically.
The player has not lost his quality despite the troubles at the Italian club. Some elite clubs like Real Madrid and Chelsea are believed to be plotting a move for the player.
Barcelona should not let an opportunity to sign such an extraordinary defender go off easily.
#2 Eric Dier
The Culés is yet to find a fitting replacement for the versatile Javier Mascherano who departed the club during the January transfer window. Eric Dier is a name who would tick all the boxes for the Spanish club.
When needed the Tottenham man could step-up in the holding midfield role and also be a solid performer at the centre-back position as well.
He might not have the physicality of Umtiti but his attributes would make him a much useful player for the Spanish giants.
His versatility attracted the attention of Manchester United boss, Jose Mourinho. The Englishman has been impressive to watch at the London club.
The 24-year-old has made 40 appearances for Spurs in all competitions this season. His positioning and aerial abilities make him the man the man to beat in the defence.
Dier has a passing accuracy of 86% in the league with a pass length of about 20 meters. He took four defensive actions per game, winning 51% of the duel on an average.
He would be a great asset to Valverde at the club. Any offer in the region of £50 million should be moving enough for Daniel Levy to sell the player.
#1 Toby Alderweireld
Toby Alderweireld is yet another Tottenham player on the list. The Belgian defender is widely considered to be the among the best defenders not only in England but continent-wide. During his spell at the London club, he has proved himself to be worthy of the tag.
The player takes as much as five defensive actions per game in the league and has a passing accuracy of 86% in 2017/18.
The 29-year-old is reported to be unhappy with his wages at the London club. He would enter the last 12 months of his contract at the end of the current season. With Spurs reluctant to hand him the desired wages, it could force them into selling the player.
A large number of clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City are interested in the player.
He would be the perfect replacement for the Frenchman at the club. His attributes of strength, tackling and passing are somewhat similar to Umtiti.
