Chelsea have been trying to sign Samuel Umtiti for some time now and it seems like their wish could finally be fulfilled – as per reports.
Samuel Umtiti joined Barcelona from Lyon but the Frenchman has not been able to live up to the expectations and this season he seems to have fallen down the pecking order at Camp Nou.
During the 2019-20 season, Umtiti has played in only 11 La Liga games for Barcelona and chances are that the defender is looking to secure an exit in the summer.
A number of clubs have been heavily linked with a move for the centre-back but up until now, it was being claimed that Arsenal are the firm favourites to land him before the upcoming season.
Now though it seems like Chelsea have leapfrogged over them in the queue since Samuel Umtiti does not wish to join Arsenal.
Yes, it sounds like the Barcelona man wants to keep playing in the Champions League and since Arsenal will not be in the UCL next season(as things stand), the defender would prefer to join the Blues.
The report also claims that the 26-year-old’s representatives have been in touch with Chelsea to let them know about the player’s desire to join the Blues and are now waiting to see what Chelsea come up with.
😁 Samuel Umtiti’s World Cup celebration will bring a smile to your face any day 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/kMNtN98iVl
— Football Fans Tribe 🇳🇬 ⚽ (@FansTribeHQ) April 2, 2020
While Arsenal desperately want to sign an experienced defender in the summer but Samuel Umtiti might just have proved too costly at £45 million more so since Arteta is expected to work on a tight budget this transfer window.
So in such a scenario, Chelsea look to be in pole position and if they can indeed get their hands on Samuel Umtiti then he will be the perfect fit in central defence alongside Antonio Rudiger and a lot of Chelsea’s defensive woes would be solved next season.
But what remains to be seen is if Barcelona are willing to offload the 26-year-old in the summer – before they can get their hands on an alternative defender.
