Samuel Umtiti has been linked with a move to Arsenal – and could it hinge on a decision by Tottenham Hotspur?
They would never intentionally do it, but Tottenham Hotspur could potentially – and accidentally – do North London rivals Arsenal a big favour in the transfer market this summer.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona are keen on signing Tottenham centre-back Jan Vertonghen, who is available on a Bosman in a few months.
The interesting thing here is that Arsenal have been linked with Barca’s Samuel Umtiti, who has a release clause of £460 million [AS].
And if Spurs let Vertonghen leave for free, enabling the Camp Nou club to sign him for nothing, then maybe, just maybe, it would clear the way for the Gunners to bring the France international to the Emirates Stadium.
Would the Primera Liga side be interested in Vertonghen if they intended to keep Umtiti in Catalunya? Probably not.
If their interest in the Tottenham star is legitimate, and it certainly comes from a reputable source, then it’s possible that it’s as a replacement for the Arsenal-linked stalwart.
Clearly there’s quite a few ifs and buts in this one.
And it certainly isn’t the Lilywhites’ fault if Vertonghen does join Barcelona – they can hardly give him a new deal in North London incase his exit helps their neighbours to sign somebody.
But those on the red half of the North London divide will certainly take great pleasure in knowing that their bitter rivals helped them sign a top centre-back, if it pans out like that.
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