Five possible destinations for Samuel Umtiti in January

Not long ago, there was a time when Samuel Umtiti was untouchable in Barcelona’s line up. Come an alien invasion or an apocalypse, Umtiti was one of the select band of players who was going nowhere from the Blaugrana line up but this narrative has changed in no time.

After an outstanding 2017-18 season, Umtiti was destined to enter the elite group of the best centre backs at Barcelona. Getting past Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique was considered to be an impossible task with Umtiti and Pique being considered as reincarnation on Aniketos and Alexiares, the Olympian demigods presiding over the defence of forts and citadels.

Then came the 2018 World Cup where Samuel Umtiti was an integral part of the Les Bleus’ winning campaign but the Frenchman played by forcing his knee throughout the campaign. His heroics yielded him a Worldcup winner’s medal but took a toll on his knee and Barcelona have paid the fine for it. Since the culmination of the Worldcup, the centre back has suffered recurring knee injuries since then and missed 39 games for the Spanish giants.

The ongoing problem with his knee could’ve been sorted out with surgery and a period out of competitive action, but Umtiti preferred to take himself off to the Middle East and try to holistically overcome the issue. During his absence, Clement Lenglet became Pique’s companion in the backline and the former Sevilla man grabbed the opportunity with both the hands. So much so that it can now be said that Umtiti can no longer be considered as a certain starter. With the January transfer window approaching, there will be clubs who want to bring Umtiti to their respective teams and the Frenchman should evaluate the options at the table and make a decision.