Arsenal and Samuel Umtiti: It’s crazy, but it just may work

Arsenal’s link to Barcelona centerback Samuel Umtiti is hanging around, and while we should all acknowledge that it is, in fact, crazy, it just may work.

Arsenal‘s defense should probably be first priority this summer, but it’s not exactly a straightforward fix unless we start cutting some of the lingering talent, which could also be part of the solution.

So when it comes to spending over half of the reported budget on a single defender, the question marks should be popping up. Yes, Umtiti would be an upgrade, and slotting him into a back line would be a remarkable step forward for this defense and, more importantly, for the long haul.

Which is part of the reason why this link is so crazy, no matter how much they tell us that negotiations are opening between the two clubs, with Raul Sanllehi leading the charge for his former man.

The craziest thing about the rumor isn’t the “status” of Umtiti, even though he certainly ranks as one of the best out there, the craziest is just the price tag. It’s the same thing that made Matthijs De Ligt crazy. £70m for one player is inherently crazy for a club whose wallet is so heavily guarded.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

But when you think about the situation that’s unfolding, it just may work. Barcelona would only be selling Umtiti if they land the services of De Ligt, meaning that it wouldn’t make much sense for them to sell Umtiti for the same price as De Ligt. You can’t sell a guy for the same price as you’re paying for his replacement.

Thus it’s feasible that Umtiti could be secured for £55-60m, making him one of our highest paid players ever, but not necessarily the highest paid player ever.

At 25 years old, he’s hardly a young phenom anymore, he’s crossing into the established territory, which, certainly helps the odds of lowering that price as well.

And, for once, Barcelona actually have an impetus to sell, so we’ll know he is available. All we have to do is be the ones to fork up the money and win the race. Easier said than done, but it’s certainly not impossible.

It’s still a long shot. There’s no point in hiding from that obvious fact. But the closer Barca move to De Ligt, the closer we should feel to having a realistic chance at buffering this defense with the likes of Samuel Umtiti.