Arsenal reportedly wanted defender Samuel Umtiti this month.
According to Le Parisien, Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti ‘dismissed’ a move to Arsenal this month as he isn’t interested in a mid-season move.
It’s claimed that Arsenal were ‘very interested’ in signing Umtiti, but were met with a firm ‘no’ from the French international centre back.
Umtiti allegedly sees Barcelona as the ‘best club in the world’, and doesn’t see himself playing for anyone else in the near future.
However, the next six months are key, as Umtiti doesn’t want to be sat on the sidelines for much longer, having lost his place alongside Gerard Pique to Clement Lenglet.
Umtiti is seemingly willing to wait it out and see what happens, but a summer attempt may prove more fruitful if Arsenal do wish to try again.
The 26-year-old has only played 10 games this season, and that simply isn’t enough for a player of Umtiti’s quality, as he’s a quick, strong and technically-proficient centre back who brings balance as a left-footer.
The problem for him has been injuries; he’s not exactly the same player he was two years ago, and he may well need a fresh start somewhere else to get back to his best.
That won’t come this month, but Umtiti may still be in Arsenal’s plans for the summer, depending on how new signing Pablo Mari fares in the coming months having joined from Flamengo this week.
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