Arsenal & Manchester United Among Clubs Tipped for Samuel Umtiti Move

Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly among the 'five possible' destinations for out-of-favour Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti.

Umtiti arrived at the Nou Camp from Lyon for around €25m in the summer of 2016. After an impressive first two seasons, the World Cup-winning Frenchman has become surplus to requirements, with chronic injuries restricting his game time to just 18 appearances in all competitions in 2019/20.

After a turbulent end to last season, fraught with on and off-field drama, Barcelona - under new manager Ronald Koeman - are now in the process of rebuilding their squad, while attempting to reduce their sky-high wage bill.

The likes of Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, Nelson Semedo and Luis Suarez have already departed, while more - including Umtiti - are expected to leave.

Manchester United are named as one of the frontrunners for the 26-year-old centre back's signature, according to Sport.

The Red Devils have been looking to bolster their backline due to the faltering form of Swedish centre-back Victor Lindelof and the injury record of former Villarreal man Eric Bailly.

However, should Man Utd make a move for Umtiti, they are expected to face competition from up to four other clubs, including Premier League rivals Arsenal.

The Gunners may still be in the hunt for a partner to new recruit Gabriel Magalhaes, with current stars Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Sead Kolasinac and Calum Chambers all likely to be sold before deadline day next month.

Sport's report also suggests that Barça could use the Frenchman as a makeweight in a deal to prise long-time target Lautaro Martinez away from Inter, although this could depend on the future of Slovakian defender Milan Skriniar.

Ligue 1 duo Lyon and Stade Rennais are the other two clubs named as possible options for Umtiti

Should Umtiti complete his probable switch away from La Liga, he will become the sixth first-team player to leave the Camp Nou this summer.