After adapting well to life at Barcelona during the first two seasons, following his move from Lyon, Umtiti struggled with knee problems throughout the last campaign.
In an interview with L’Equipe, he said, of his efforts at the World Cup, “I had some problems with my knee before and during the competition. I gritted my teeth and played the best I could.”
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His efforts landed him a World Cup title, and the Frenchman returned to Barcelona on top of the world.
After playing through the injury at the start of the campaign, Umtiti only managed one appearance from September 28 until mid-February.
Compatriot Clement Lenglet replaced him in the side and the former Sevilla defender’s performances meant that Umtiti found himself relegated to second choice, even after fully recovering from injury. By the end of the campaign, he had only logged 15 appearances for the Blaugrana.
While the injury remains a bit of a concern, Umtiti would be an instant upgrade at center back for United and could form a strong partnership with Victor Lindelöf in years to come.
With Lenglet in good form and Mathijs de Ligt potentially arriving from Ajax, Barcelona could be tempted to sell the Frenchman. United should snap him up before another big club swoops in.