According to the latest reports, Samuel Umtiti is committed to fighting for his spot at Barcelona despite rising interests from Arsenal.
The Frenchman has dropped down the pecking order this season due to recurring injuries to his knee. It is rather unfortunate for the centre-half but Clement Lenglet has capitalized on the situation to earn himself a starting spot next to Gerrard Pique.
Now, with the Blaugrana also expressing heavy interests in Ajax man, Matthijs de Ligt, Umtiti’s future with the club continues to hit a steep decline. The 25-year-old was counted as a long-term star right upon his arrival but things have changed pretty quickly at the Camp Nou.
de Ligt’s transfer is expected to cost around £75m in the present market. Selling Umititi would definitely help Barcelona raise the funds for the 19-year-old’s signature.
There are also growing concerns amongst Ernesto Valverde’s coaching staff that the World Cup winner might never get back to his old self after suffering the knee injury. Reports claim that there are still loose cartilage bouncing around in his knee which is still causing him pain.
Umtiti took the decision to not undergo surgery this past winter and instead chose to active recovery through rehabilitation. While he has been ruled fit, his performances on the pitch surely claim otherwise.
The 25-year-old made a few key errors in the 4-4 game against Villareal on Tuesday that directly resulted in his side conceding two goals.
From Arsenal’s point of view, they might be better off looking into their other targets rather than shelling out a record sum for an injury prone defender.
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