Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has asked the club to sell one of their star players in order to create room for newcomers for the next season.
Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti had turned into an absolute beast and was one of the world’s best in his position for the last two years. Having won the double with Barcelona at the end of 2017/18, he went on to add a gold medal with France at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia to his trophy haul.
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However, the 2018/19 campaign has been far from ideal for Samuel Umtiti. The former Olympique Lyon defender suffered an injury back in October that kept him out for a long time. Subsequently, his position was snapped upon by Clement Lenglet who has established a very formidable partnership alongside Gerard Pique.
Having already signed Frenkie de Jong from Ajax Amsterdam, the Catalans want to make a move for the midfielder’s club and national teammate Matthijs de Ligt, who is very highly regarded across Europe. De Ligt, 19, is already the captain of Ajax Amsterdam and has been compared to the likes of Sergio Ramos and Diego Godin too.
That said, Barcelona continues to be the destination of his choice, but the Blaugrana need to get rid of a few players from their squad to make room for the Netherlands international. Samuel Umtiti is the one who could be cashed in on, amid suggestion from Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique.
While Ernesto Valverde wants to keep the central defender, Barcelona’s mainstays have voted for his exit though even the player has a desire of continuing at the club. Now, the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are thought to be interested in him.
Samuel Umtiti’s recent form has shown that he has clearly gone downhill after the injury and could stand no way of making it back to Barcelona’s eleven if Lenglet continues in the same vein and de Ligt signs for the club. His performance against Villarreal was clear evidence and he was at major faults for nearly all four goals conceded.
How much should Barcelona sell Samuel Umtiti for, if they manage to sign Matthijs de Ligt?