Everton have been linked with an audacious bargain swoop for a Barcelona exile in a move which could cause one defender at Goodison Park to sweat over his long-term future.
Samuel Umtiti, who was part of the France squad which won the 2018 World Cup, has yet to play a single minute at Barcelona this season under the stewardship of former Toffees manager Ronald Koeman.
Umtiti has suffered a long-term ‘downfall’ in previous years with the Catalan giants, largely as a consequence of injury. The La Liga titans are said to be incredibly keen to offload the defender, according to Mundo Deportivo, and are willing to further reduce their cut-price tag of £10.7m in order to secure a deal.
The sticking point for Barcelona is the £75,000-a-week wages commanded by the 27-year-old, with the club keen to trim their wage bill significantly in order to preserve funds amid the current economic climate.
The Daily Mail noted that veteran defender Gerard Pique and manager Koeman have both ‘restructured’ their pay in recent weeks to help the club manage the financial burden.
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Umtiti could well prove to be a bargain buy for such a figure. Given his impressive CV and his reasonably young age, he strikes a balance between quality, experience and potential. Reshaping his confidence would be a challenge, as would preventing recurring injury woes, but it isn’t a conundrum which cannot be overcome.
If Everton can make their move – possibly for a sum which could represent good value for money – then Umtiti could be a shrewd acquisition.
Indeed, ex-Barcelona defender Yerry Mina may well sweat over his long-term future at Goodison Park were Umtiti to be signed, with his poor performances being noted over recent weeks amid defensive concerns for Carlo Ancelotti’s team – a problem which the manager has publicly acknowledged.
