Arsenal and Samuel Umtiti: No point hoping yet

Arsenal have reportedly ‘held talks’ with Barcelona regarding a possible transfer for Samuel Umtiti. Let’s just say there is little point in hoping just yet.

The summer transfer window is looming. Like an ominous wave, waiting to come crashing on the shore, the crazy season of the football world is just around the corner. And that means that we, as fans, will either get to revel in the time of rumour and conjecture or endure the uncertainty of it all, depending on our perspectives of the transfer window.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Season in review; Summer window looms

In being Arsenal fans, sadly, we often tend to be the butt of the transfer rumour joke. With media companies increasingly obsessed with viewing figures and page hits, the desperation of a whole fan base is something that can be used to their advantage — trust me, I have done the very same. This is not me being ‘holier than thou’.

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That means that it is important that we are level-headed and grounded when reading about potential moves of the club. And this summer, with an anticipated overhaul by Unai Emery and Raul Sanllehi as they continue to revolutionise the squad, there will be a whole raft of rumours, perhaps more so than ever — incidentally, I fear that I may be writing this kind of piece more than I would like.

And the first name that I would commit to you should enter the ‘almost never going to happen’ club is Barcelona centre-half and World Cup-winner, Samuel Umtiti. According to the reports, initially coming from Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy, Arsenal has entered into talks with Barcelona regarding a possible transfer of Umtiti, with Raul Sanllehi using his connections with his former club to make contact.

Now, there are a couple of elements that do make some sense. Barcelona are expected to sign Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax, who ostensibly replace Umtiti in the starting XI. Umtiti has also only played 740 La Liga minutes all season, dealing with a knee injury for much of the first half of the campaign. Arsenal need a centre-back. Sanllehi has contacts at Barcelona.

But really, that is where the logic ends. Umtiti would cost north of £50 million, closer to £60 or even £70 million, more than Arsenal’s complete budget. There are plenty of other clubs interested in Umtiti’s services, clubs far more attractive than the Gunners.

Umtiti, really, would never move to north London. Why would he? Manchester United have been reported as keenly interested, as have the likes of Bayern Munich and even Liverpool. Surely these teams would be more attractive to Umtiti?

Let’s be honest, there is no point in hoping that this deal could ever be completed yet. I am not going to completely rule it out, but I certainly will not be holding my breath. The crazy season is here, and Umtiti is just the start of it.