Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti failed to commit his future to the club when asked about interest in a potential transfer to Manchester United.
The France international was quizzed about his situation amid rumours that he’s set to snub a new contract with the Catalan giants due to being tempted by a move to Old Trafford.
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Don Balon have claimed Barcelona are not currently ready to meet Umtiti’s wage demands, but that United are as they circle for a top class player with a bargain release clause of just £52million.
Umtiti would be a fine signing for United as they look for an upgrade on the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones at the back, and it seems he’s not too keen to discuss anything publicly right now.
The Daily Mirror report that when asked by a journalist if a move to Manchester would be something he’s interested in, the 24-year-old simply gave a one-word answer that gave little away: ‘Joker.’
The Mirror also state that Umtiti’s release clause is £60m, though various Spanish publications have stated that that is its valuation in euros.
Either way, it’s still pretty cheap considering the amount Liverpool paid for Virgil van Dijk or Manchester City paid for Aymeric Laporte.
Umtiti has shone for Barcelona and France and is clearly now one of the finest centre-backs in Europe, so Barca will surely regret not giving him a far higher buy-out clause to prevent this kind of situation.