Arsenal have reportedly rekindled their pursuit of Samuel Umtiti, who could be on his way out of Barcelona this coming summer.
According to a report by Transfer Market Web, Samuel Umtiti is once again the subject of interest from Arsenal over a move in the summer transfer window. The French defender is set to leave Barcelona post the end of the season, with former club Lyon also exploring the possibility of signing him.
Samuel Umtiti arrived at Barcelona from Lyon in the summer of 2016 and enjoyed a fine maiden campaign with the Blaugrana, wherein he quickly established himself as a regular at the back. But, right after a solid debut season, things started to go pear-shaped, as a spate of injuries hampered the 27-year-old’s progress, curtailing his game-time considerably.
As a result, he has managed just 129 appearances in five seasons at Barcelona, starting just 35 of the 156 games that they have played over the last three campaigns. Things seem to have reached a head at Camp Nou, with the injuries adversely affecting his form as well. Now facing an uncertain future at the Catalan club, the player’s situation has alerted Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta currently has a plethora of centre-backs at his disposal, with William Saliba also likely to hope to secure regular game-time upon returning from his loan spell at OGC Nice. However, it is important to note that David Luiz is well into thirties and is being linked with a summer exit from Arsenal as a free agent.
That leaves Arteta with Pablo Mari, Gabriel Magalhaes, Rob Holding and Calum Chambers being the only other options at his disposal, with Chambers being utilised as a right-back lately. Therefore, it is not hard to see why Arsenal could be in the market for a centre-back, with Umtiti a viable target, although the Barcelona defender’s injury record might not make him an asset.
Nevertheless, it looks like Arsenal could make a move for the French centre-back, with former club Lyon also in his pursuit. For now, though, what appears to be certain is that Umtiti could be set to leave Barcelona this coming summer, with the Catalans also scouring for replacements in the form of Aissa Mandi, Jorge Cuenca and others.