Five possible destinations for Samuel Umtiti in January
Barcelona:
Barcelona somewhere down the line still believes that he‘s still a robust centre back with exceptional on the ball qualities and passing. He was a beast before injuries took him down but the club hierarchies continue to have faith in the Worldcup winner’s talents.
Before succumbing to knee injuries, Umtiti kept 25 clean sheets in 49 games in the 2017/18 campaign and conceded just 34 goals in over 4000 minutes of football. Clement Lenglet might have overtaken him in the pecking order but Umtiti is one of a kind defender that are extremely rare to find in today’s world and Barcelona should hold onto their prized asset despite his injury troubles.
Lately, the Blaugrana have had defensive problems of their own with the team with no proper structure in defence. Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet have been good but not at a level that Barcelona demands. The duo together has conceded 16 goals in 14 games, a record that Barcelona shouldn’t be proud of. The Catalans defence has been extremely breachable.
Clement Lenglet is really, really good. I don’t think he’s a great partner for Piqué but in a post-Piqué era for Barça, where his partner can be athletic like Umtiti or Todibo, I think he’s going to be SUPERB and his style will allow him to play at that level for years.
— Muhammad Butt (@muhammadbutt) October 19, 2019
Barcelona plays high up the pitch very often. This is fundamental to how the team builds up the play. This situation often leads defenders to be high up the pitch which is required to circulate the passes around. Umtiti suits all the requirements that a Barcelona centre back needs and he should be given another chance at the club. But before he gets drafted back in the team, he needs to prove his stamina and fitness levels in order to compete with Lenglet for the starting spot.
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Where do you think Samuel Umtiti should go next?