Manchester United are set to bid for Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti as contract talks with the Catalans is in progress. Man utd are anxious to bolster their defence with a good centre-back after Victor Lindelof struggled for form earlier on the season. Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo don’t look to have a future past this summer either. Jose Mourinho is a big fan of the 14-cap defender.
Umtiti won’t come cheap, however, with the French international having a release clause of £54m. He’s currently in talks with Barcelona over a new deal but wants £154k-per-week, what Manchester United are offering, otherwise he may considering leaving the Camp Nou.
On 30 June 2016, Umtiti signed for La Liga side Barcelona for a fee of €25 million. On 17 August, Umtiti made his first appearance for Barcelona in the second leg of the 2016 Supercopa de España which Barcelona won 3–0 versus Sevilla and lifted the trophy. Umtiti picked up a knee injury in September 2016 while in Barcelona training, causing him to miss a crucial La Liga clash against Atlético Madrid. He scored his first goal for the club on 4 March 2017 against Celta de Vigo which Barcelona won 5–0. He would later play a vital role in the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League in the second leg of the Round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain, as he started the match alongside Gerard Piqué and Javier Mascherano in a 3 man central defence partnership. Umtiti assisted his teammates in recovering from a 4–0 first leg deficit to a historic 6–1 victory, the biggest comeback in the history of the UEFA Champions League. He would cap off his first year in Spain by winning the 2016–17 Copa del Rey and by establishing himself firmly as first-choice in central defence for the club alongside Gerard Piqué.
Reports say Umtiti would double his wages if he left to join the English outfit, while his release clause would see Barcelona land more than £30m profit from his 2016-move. They have no desire to sell, but if United match the fee then the decision will be up to the defender.
