In news that is sure to delight supporters of Manchester United and Arsenal, interest from Italy in one World Cup winner has cooled, meaning that the Premier League sides would appear to be in pole position to secure him.
Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti is up for sale according to Sport, with talkSPORT noting the interest of the English teams.
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It had also been alleged that both Napoli and Inter Milan might be interested in the services of the centre-back, but Mundo Deportivo have now given reasons why that’s unlikely to be the case.
With an approximate sale price of between €25-€30m, that fee is expected to be too much for the Partnopei, whilst the Frenchman is only considered as a second choice for Inter behind Hellas Verona’s Marash Kumbulla.
A powerhouse at the heart of the Catalans’ defence, Umtiti has fallen down the pecking order at the Camp Nou because of a persistent injury concern and Clement Lenglet’s outstanding form.
It seems that there’s no way back for him in Spain, but thanks to the coronavirus seeing his value plummet, at only 26 years of age he represents something of a bargain for whomever wishes to test the waters with Barcelona.