Barcelona will be desperate to keep hold of defender Samuel Umtiti this summer, but reports claim they still face a battle to fend off Man Utd.
The Catalan giants are in the midst of a successful season this year, securing the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey to underline their domestic dominance.
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A key factor in that success has been the solidity in their defence, as they’ve conceded just 21 goals 34 league games, the second best defensive record in the top flight.
Aside from their Champions League exit, there hasn’t been much room for complaint, but losing Umtiti would certainly disrupt the balance created in the side and his solid partnership with Gerard Pique.
According to Sport, that’s the risk that they still face as it’s claimed that Jose Mourinho is still keen to sign the Frenchman this summer and that the Red Devils are pushing for an agreement before the World Cup gets underway in Russia in mid-June.
It’s an ambitious timeline considering how important Umtiti is to Barcelona, as it would be a surprise if he was prised away from the Nou Camp at all.
As per Goal.com, the 24-year-old has a €60m release clause, and so given their spending in recent summers on the likes of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku, that would surely come within Man Utd’s spending power.
The issue though remains convincing Umtiti to leave the La Liga champions, but based on Sport’s claims, United are still going to try their best to bolster their defence this summer which hasn’t exactly been porous this season, as they’ve conceded just 27 goals in 35 league games.