The transformation of Samuel Umtiti into Barcelona's pillar of strength

One of the thorny issues at Barcelona over the years has been the subject of centre-back. Samuel Umtiti has shown, however, he is a rose amongst those very thorns.

The Cameroon-born defender is looking worth the €25m fee paid for him several times over, and in a market now completely blown apart and exaggerated, his fee was a steal. What has been most impressive about Umtiti is the seemingly lack of adaptation period he’s needed since joining Barcelona. To say he’s hit the grounding running would be missing the point when in actual fact he’s flying at Barca.

It’s not only at Barca where Umtiti can claim to be the best centre-back at the moment, because in Europe as a whole there is simply no-one outperforming him. A dream was achieved when Umtiti moved to the Catalan outfit, and it’s one he’s wanting to continue having. You get the feeling he’s not a player who will take a moment of his journey at Barca for granted, and the subsequent performances since joining are evidence to that.

"When I knew I had the possibility to come to Barca it really touched me, I cried a little even though I tried to hide my emotions. It has been a dream of mine - since childhood, I wanted to come here. I'm very happy and excited to be here,“ said Umtiti upon being presented as a Barca player back in July 2016.

That Umtiti has been unwilling to down tools and say he’s made it, is also another admirable part of his demeanour since joining the club. Whereas some can switch off, and maybe lose their edge that got them a big move, Umtiti has seemingly grown even more and improved considerably as a player.

The 24-year-old’s greatest quality seems to be his self-assurance and general confidence in his own ability on the field. This all while remaining humble and grasping the desire to become even better. In games, he carries himself like a veteran, someone who has seen and done it all. This as opposed to what he essentially is, which is a player still in a stage of discovering himself and developing. He’s doing all this while carving out first-class performances week in, week out. The latest of which saw him go up against Valencia in a high-pressure game at Mestalla.

Umtiti was seemingly oblivious to the whirring sound of Mestalla. Instead, he personified cool and control during the game. Out of possession he anticipated play and was positionally aware, while with the ball, he was assertive in his actions and of course, classy. Defending to a player like Umtiti is an art; it doesn’t need to be slide tackles and rough play. It can also be clean, elegant and easy on the eye. His ability to make the graceful seem so easy and natural is undoubtedly what impresses the most.

Maybe new coach Ernesto Valverde has transformed his game, another character at the club who seems to place calm over anything else. Comparing the former Athletic Bilbao coach with Luis Enrique, there was no doubt in Umtiti’s mind over the difference between the pair.

Samuel Umtiti in action against Valencia

“The new manager is calmer, he has a different style of talking to and managing the group. He brings calm and tranquility."

At Barca, where style has been synonymous with the club throughout their history, it’s appropriate that Umtiti is showcasing such attributes. His partner in defence, Gerard Pique, is very much the perfect example of the modern defender. He’s very comfortable in possession and assured when stepping out of the backline. Pique can be the ideal tutor for Umtiti in many areas, just like Carles Puyol was to him at one time.

All these factors together make it no real surprise that Umtiti has been one of Barca’s star performers this season and, alongside Marc-André ter Stegen, is a key defensive piece that has allowed the attack to have so much freedom without the concern of pushing on too much. With just five goals conceded, Barca currently have the best defensive record in LaLiga as they look to wrestle back the title from Real Madrid.

The timing of Umtiti’s rise to prominence couldn’t be better either, with a World Cup on the horizon. Despite the strong competition at centre-back for France, it’s expected that Umtiti’s development will land him a starting berth once the tournament begins. A partnership with either Raphael Varane is possible, while Laurent Koscielny is another option.

Talk has also begun to emerge about a new deal at Barça and while he’s barely into the one he arrived at the club with, there is a desire to tie him down given reported interest from the Premier League. It also happens to be that Umtiti is one of the lowest paid members of the Barca squad, so in line with his performances, a wage increase is surely due.

It’s all moving very fast for Umtiti, but rest assured he will as ever take it in his graceful stride.