World Cup 2018: 5 players who can be France's 4th choice centre-back

#2 Malang Sarr (OGC Nice)

Sarr's exploits with Nice give him a good chance of making it to the Mundial

It has been whispered in certain quarters that Sarr might just be the player to displace Umtiti at both club and national team level.

The left-footed 19-year-old was a colossus at the back for the French Riviera outfit as they surprised everyone by finishing third in Ligue 1 last season.

A tough-tackling defender who takes no prisoners and is aggressive in his tackling as well as in contesting aerial balls, the French U-20 international plays football with a calmness that belies his age and he looks ready for the move up to the senior national team.

Similar to Umtiti in terms of aggression, agility, and pace, the similar nature of both players makes Sarr the ideal player to have in the squad as Umtiti's deputy. His aggression and ability in the air mean that he can function just as well for Les Bleus in a 3-man central defence.

The defender has been linked to clubs like Barcelona on account of his performances this season for Nice with an average passing accuracy of 89.3%. He is yet to win a senior cap or even get a call-up but he will not be fazed should he be chosen by manager Deschamps.