Five possible destinations for Samuel Umtiti in January

Manchester City:

The English champions bid farewell to their legend Vincent Kompany at the end of last season and considering the colossal impact that the Belgian had on the team, it was expected for Pep Guardiola to spend big bucks and acquire a quality centre back.

Instead, the Spaniard boss refrained from signing a centre back and put faith in the existing herd of defensive talents to power City through the gruesome campaign. Four months into the 2019-20 season, signs of weariness and enervation have kicked-in resulting in injuries to multiple defensive personnel.

The English Top Flight’s arguably best left-footed centre back, Aymeric Laporte, suffered damage to knee cartilage and meniscus keeping him out of the team until February and John Stones’ recurring muscle problems have hindered Manchester City’s relentless pursuit of unprecedented success. It’s just November and the Citizens trail Liverpool by 6 points in the table, a clear indication that defensive injuries have taken a toll on their title hunt.

The defensive crisis has forced versatile Fernandinho to play in the centre back role along with the “General” Nicolas Otamendi. Otamendi at 31 isn’t the solid defender he used to be and has become slow and sloppy causing frequent gaffes.

The January transfer window presents an opportunity for Guardiola to jump in the market and buy a centre back. Samuel Umtiti offers a more than a decent option to cover for Aymeric Laporte. Just like Laporte, Umtiti is left-footed and has excellent ball distribution qualities and can seamlessly fit into Guardiola’s system.

Premier League is harsh and physical and Guardiola’s expansive style of play demands centre backs to be strong, fleshy and comfortable on the ball and Umtiti ticks all the above boxes so the 25-year-old should be Guardiola’s go-to option.