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What's the story?
Manchester United are all set to steal Barcelona duo Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto away from the La Liga giants, according to a report in British news outlet, The Daily Express. The Red Devils are well aware that they do not stand a chance into tempting Barcelona to sell, and thus will have to trigger both players' release clauses. Jose Mourinho reportedly is happy to part with €100 million for the pair, as Umtiti's release clause is a paltry €60 million, while Roberto can be had for €40 million.
Also Read: The transformation of Samuel Umtiti into Barcelona's pillar of strength
In case you didn't know...
Umtiti spent the majority of his youth career at Olympique Lyonnais, joining the club at the tender age of 8. He spent 10 years in the youth system, before graduating to the senior team in 2011, making his debut in 2012, at the age of 18. Barcelona parted with €25 million ahead of the 2016/17 season for the Frenchman's services, and he has quickly become one of the Blaugrana's mainstays in defence.
Sergi Roberto came through the ranks at Barcelona, with Pep Guardiola giving the then 18-year-old his debut in the 2010/11 season. Since then Roberto's versatility has seen him play in a variety of positions in defence, midfield and attack, although he's found regular first-team action hard to come by.
The heart of the matter
Barcelona are desperate to tie Samuel Umtiti down to a new deal, as the Frenchman has arguably been their best defender this season. The Blaugrana hierarchy are nervous that other clubs may take advantage of his relatively low release clause of €60 million. According to reports in Spanish radio, Umtiti is reluctant to leave mid-season, so as to not jeopardize his spot in the French national team ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Manchester United are thus keen to prise the defender away in January, since Barcelona may tie him down to a new deal. The Red Devils are much more positive about a deal for Sergi Roberto, however, since Barcelona's talks with the utility player have stalled.
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Author's Take:
€100 million for the combined quality of Samuel Umtiti and Sergi Roberto in this highly inflated transfer market is a very good deal. Given that the player's respective release clauses are the issue, Manchester United might very well face competition for these two players, but the stature of the club could be the deciding factor in the duos decision to leave Barcelona.
