Arsenal: Samuel Umtiti brick wall is an opportunity, not a hindrance

Arsenal have supposedly run into more roadblocks in their pursuit of Samuel Umtit, but this isn’t an issue, it’s more of an opportunity.

Arsenal‘s pursuit of Samuel Umtiti has never been particularly inspirational. While we’ve been linked to him for the better part of three years, there has hardly been an ounce of interest from the other side. Umtiti has remained at Barcelona to fight for his spot and when talk of moving does come up, it’s not like the Emirates is first on the list.

But with a need for a solid, reliable centerback, it’s only natural that Umtiti has come back into the frame alongside Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah. We need one centerback, so might as well explore all the options, right?

The only issue is that while the situation is changing at Arsenal, the situation has not changed at all with Umtiti. For whatever reason, there still appears to be little to no interest in suiting up at the Emirates.

Of course, this is being reported as a negative thing. The Gunners can’t get their target. But that’s where we have to draw a distinction. Just because it looks unlikely that we’ll be able to land Umtiti doesn’t mean we are losing out.

It simply means that one of our options isn’t available. But seeing as how he was the third option on a list of three top options, we would be prioritizing those other two first, and those other two have not thrown up as much indifference as Umtiti has.

There is still a significant buzz around Dayot Upamecano, as it’s pretty much accepted that he will be moving on and the Gunners still stand as a very realistic option. And while Jonathan Tah isn’t getting as much buzz as he should, that still strikes me as the best option of all.

And hell, even if we don’t get anyone, we still have a pretty decent defensive set-up right now, under the philosophical eye of Mikel Arteta, who has turned a bunch of has-beens into a formidable defense.

Don’t get hung up on the negativity. Umtiti probably isn’t going to happen, but I guarantee you that at no point next season will anyone stop and think, “damn, if only we’d have gotten Samuel Umtiti.” That’s just not how things work.

All that said, a lot can happen between now and whenever the hell this transfer window is actually going to take place. So don’t give up yet.