Barcelona are reportedly making positive steps to secure the future of Samuel Umtiti, which will be a blow for Man Utd who are said to be keen on the French international.
The Catalan giants are on the verge of securing the La Liga title, and they’ll do so with one of the best defences in the top flight.
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Ernesto Valverde’s men have conceded just 19 goals in 33 league games, and a big part of that solidity has been the central defensive partnership between Umtiti and Gerard Pique.
In turn, losing one of them would be a major blow for Barcelona, but according to Sport, the club are making positive movement in their bid to keep Umtiti at the Nou Camp amid question marks over his future with Man Utd specifically mentioned as an interested party given his €60m release clause.
Silence on the matter from official sources has unsurprisingly only added to the tension over the Frenchman’s future at Barcelona, but it’s suggested by Sport it could all be sorted in the next three weeks and it’s leaning towards him staying where he is.
Umtiti, 24, joined the Spanish giants in 2016 from Lyon, and has gone on to establish himself as a key figure in the side having made 81 appearances and counting in just shy of two full seasons.
Coupled with the fact that he’s still young and has his whole career ahead of him to improve further and cement his place in Barcelona’s defence, it will be a huge boost for Valverde if he sees his star man commit his future and remain instead of departing this summer.
With Pique now 31, Umtiti will surely have the opportunity to become the defensive leader for Barca in the years ahead, and so staying seems like a sensible decision given the club’s ability to also compete for major honours year in and year out.