Why Tottenham should make a move for Umtiti immediately

According to Spanish outlet Eldesmarque (h/t Daily Express), Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur.

Umtiti, who has spent most of this season on sidelines due to persistent injuries, has fallen down the pecking order at Barcelona behind first-choice centre-backs Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet.

Frustrated with the player’s lack of fitness, Barcelona are now keen on offloading the French defender, who has made just four starts in the La Liga this season.

The report also states that the Catalan side want the centre-back to move somewhere else as soon as possible and are willing to let him go even on a cut-price deal if potential suitors come knocking.

Umtiti has failed to nail down a regular place within the squad since his arrival at the Camp Nou from French side Olympique Lyon in the summer of 2016.

Umtiti has constantly been troubled by injuries and has missed as many as 54 matches since joining Barcelona, forcing the La Liga giants to cash in on the troubled Frenchman.

However, he is still a huge talent and is one of the best defenders in the world, which has seen clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal also keeping close tabs on him alongside Tottenham, the report claims.

Meanwhile, Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho is on the lookout for an established centre-back with veteran defender Jan Vertonghen’s contract at the club set to expire this coming summer.

With the Vertonghen conundrum still existing, Mourinho needs to sign a suitable replacement for the seasoned defender, who is playing his eighth season with the North London side.

Also, Tottenham are short of players in the centre-back role with the other two being Davinson Sanchez and the young Juan Foyth. Though Sanchez has started to establish himself as a regular in recent times, Foyth is yet to impress the Portuguese and lacks game time.

Read more:

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• Why Ziyech’s arrival could make Tottenham a force to reckon with
• Why young Cantwell would be a great asset to Tottenham’s attack

Moreover, bringing in an experienced defender like Umtiti would only do a world of good for a Tottenham side that has conceded for fun this season.

Verdict

Having won a World Cup and two Spanish league titles, Umtiti has played at the highest level. Hence, Tottenham should pounce on this chance and land Umtiti immediately.