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Arsenal keen on signing 26-year-old star but does Arteta really need him?

By on August 29, 2020

According to reports in Spain via TeamTalk, Arsenal are in the race to sign Samuel Umtiti on a potential season-long loan deal after Barcelona decided to offload the centre-back this summer.

The Catalans have endured a turbulent few weeks as they were thrashed 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals which prompted Lionel Messi to hand in a transfer request and demand a move away from the Nou Camp.

Barca chiefs have brought-in Ronald Koeman as their new manager and the Dutchman is set to oversee a huge squad overhaul this summer with only a handful of players considered as unsellable.

Umtiti is one of several players who are available for transfer and TeamTalk are citing a report from the paper version of Mundo Deportivo that claims Arsenal are among a whole host of clubs showing an interest in the defender.

The Spanish outlet suggests that Barcelona are concerned about the 26-year-old’s injury history and are ready to let him leave on an initial loan deal due to a lack of serious bidders for a permanent transfer.

Mundo Deportivo, via TeamTalk, claims that Arsenal have been alerted to the news of Umtiti’s availability and are eyeing a surprise move for the Frenchman but will face competition from Leicester, West Ham and clubs from Italy.

Does Arteta need Umtiti?

Gabriel-Magalhaes

Umtiti has long been linked with a move to the Emirates and he was once regarded as one of the best young centre-backs in Europe. He even played an important role in France winning the World Cup in 2018 so he does have pedigree.

However, his career has stalled over the past two years due to injuries so it would be a big risk to sign him this summer and I really don’t think we need to be bringing in another centre-back.

William Saliba has arrived from Saint-Etienne and looks to be a real talent while Arsenal are reportedly on the verge of signing Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille. They are both young, talented centre-backs who could be the bedrock of Arsenal’s defence for years to come.

Rob Holding is set for a loan move to Newcastle but we still have David Luiz in the squad while Sokratis, Calum Chambers and Shkodran Mustafi are all still on the books so I really don’t see any need to take a risk on Umtiti when we have so many centre-backs.

If Arsenal offload Sokratis and Chambers/Mustafi as well as Holding then sure, a loan move for Umtiti would make sense but that doesn’t appear to be on the cards right now so I don’t see where the Frenchman would fit in.

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