FC Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti rejected move to Liverpool in the winter transfer window to stay and fight at Barcelona

FC Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti rejected move to Liverpool in the winter transfer window to stay and fight at Barcelona
The Frenchman had a stellar campaign in the 2018 FIFA World Cup but since then has been relegated to the sidelines as French compatriot Clement Lenglet has taken his place in the starting XI

French centre-back Samuel Umtiti rejected a shock winter transfer window move to Liverpool as the Premier League club signed two centre-backs on deadline day. Injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez meant that Joel Matip and defensive midfielder Fabinho became the new centre-back pairing for Liverpool. But with injuries to both of them, Liverpool scrambled to sign two centre-backs on the cheap to ease their injury crisis. Samuel Umtiti was a target but he ultimately refused a move to the English club.

The defender will decide on his future this summer as he loses favour in Barcelona

The established centre-back pairing of Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet along with the rise in form of young defender Ronald Araujo means that Samuel Umtiti was further down the pecking order. Premier League defending champions Liverpool were rumoured to have offered to sign him and FC Barcelona were also open to selling him. However the Frenchman wasn’t interested in a move to the current Premier League champions and wanted to fight for his place in FC Barcelona.

However that is something said easier than done as Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Ronald Araujo are all favourite to be chosen ahead of him. Umtiti has a contract with the Blaugrana till 2023 and will have to make a decision on his future now. The centre-back will be 29 years old come the summer of 2023 and will have to be at the top of his game if he wants a reputed European club to sign him. Clubs are starting to show reluctance in signing players who are more than 28 years of age as not everyone can be as blessed as Cristiano Ronaldo or Zlatan Ibrahimovic in terms of longevity. Samuel Umtiti will have to decide if he wants to stay and fight at FC Barcelona where he will get old or leave to some other club to get some more years in his playing career. Euro 2021 is right around the corner and the likes of Raphael Varane, Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde and Clement Lenglet will provide massive competition to his place in the line-up.

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