Samuel Umtiti has agreed an extension on his current contract with Barcelona till 2023, the club announced on Sunday.
Barcelona have made an official statement to announce that they have reached an agreement with Samuel Umtiti to extend his current contract with the club. The extension will see the Frenchman remain at Camp Nou till June 30, 2023, putting an end to Manchester United’s hopes of signing him.
Umtiti joined Barcelona from Lyon in the summer of 2016, and took little time to establish himself as a key figure at Camp Nou. Over the last two seasons, the Frenchman has progressed leaps and bounds to become an indispensable figure at the back for the Blaugrana and has become such an important player at Camp Nou that the win percentage drops drastically when he doesn’t start.
With Umtiti in the side, Barcelona have lost just once in 48 games, winning 83% of the time, a figure that drops to 57% whenever he hasn’t featured. So, it goes without saying that he plays a key role at the back for the Catalans, which is why it isn’t surprising that several clubs were ready to snap him up for a meagre €60 million – Manchester United being at the front of the line.
Manchester United may have boasted a statistically strong defensive unit this past season – they conceded the second fewest goals in the Premier League – but the second half of the season saw them pose a vulnerable look at the back.
Jose Mourinho, in fact, aired his grievances surrounding the backline’s shortcomings one too many times, and even though the Manchester United boss has a gamut of centre-backs at his disposal, several are believed to be in line to be shown the Old Trafford exit door.
The likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones look set to be on the chopping block, and there have even been murmurings of Eric Bailly possibly departing. While the Ivorian is more likely to stay, the need to sign a centre-back is imperative for Manchester United, making the Barcelona superstar, considered one of the best in the world, a viable target.
Manchester United haven’t been alone in pursuit of the player, with Real Madrid linked with a shock move for him as well. But, they have now received a setback in their bid to sign Umtiti, with the Frenchman reaching an agreement with Barcelona over a new five-year deal.
He will officially put pen to paper on Monday, which will delight Barcelona fans as he was one of the few key first-team players who were yet to sign new deals. That his release clause has reportedly been bumped up to €500 million will also come as a huge relief to everyone associated with the club, effectively ending the chances of any suitor to snap him up.
Umtiti can now focus on performing well for France at the World Cup, where he will be Les Bleus’ first-choice centre-back. As far as Manchester United are concerned, they will now have to turn their attention elsewhere, with the player committed to Barcelona.
