Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is weighing up a possible move for Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti, according to reports in the Spanish media.
The 27-year-old, who won the World Cup with France in 2018, is available for transfer, and he could be brought in by the Citizens to add more depth to the backline.
Aymeric Laporte is apparently keen to leave the Etihad Stadium and replacing him with another left-footed player like Umtiti would make some sense. However, the centre-back’s poor injury record would make it a risky transfer.
The Frenchman has been struggling with a chronic knee problem in recent years and, while he was fit for most of last season, there is always the risk of a recurrence.
Umtiti is deemed to be surplus to requirements by Barca, as they look to slash their wage bill, and he has already been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal this summer, so we shall see whether he ends up at City or somewhere else.
