Barcelona star set to deliver hammer blow to Man Utd, Arsenal transfer hopes

Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti looks set to deliver a transfer blow to Manchester and Arsenal by staying at the Nou Camp this summer.

According to The Sun via Spanish outlet Sport, the France defender is determined to stay and fight for his place with the Catalan giants, rather than risk moving to another club.

The 26-year-old is known to be ‘high’ on both Premier League giants’ ‘wishlists’, however Sport reports that Umtiti is not prepared to leave as he is settled in Catalonia.

Despite that, Barca are still open to offers for the player, with the current LaLiga champions hoping to raise funds to boost their transfer budget for upcoming summer window.

World Cup winner Umtiti had established himself as one of the best defenders in the world before being hit by injury issues over the past two seasons.

The Sun adds that the Frenchman is contracted until 2023 and that Umtiti is even ‘hopeful’ of securing a new deal with Barca.

United, meanwhile, are looking for a long-term partner for Harry Maguire, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer not fully convinced by the likes of Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones, while Roma loanee Chris Sammling looks certain to be sold this summer.

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt is also high on United’s list of targets after struggling to adapt to life in Serie A, but a former Red Devils star has urged the Dutchman to stay in Italy and prove his worth.

Arsenal’s hopes of returning to their former glory are still hampered by defensive issues, with Mikel Arteta looking to give that side of his team a major shot in the arm this summer.

Indeed, their latest target appears to be Reims centre-back Disasi, with the Gunners already failing in an effort to sign him back in January.

 

 

Meanwhile, former Arsenal striker and current pundit Charlie Nicholas has urged the Gunners to take drastic action in order to convince star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to extend his stay in North London.

The Gabon international has been a shining light in an otherwise underwhelming past few seasons at the Emirates.

Boasting a goal scoring record of almost two goals every three games since his 2018 January arrival, Aubameyang has often been the sole factor preventing Arsenal from sliding down into mid-table mediocrity.

With just one year remaining on his current deal and seemingly no fresh plans to extend his stay, speculation has mounted that Aubameyang could depart, with a Robin van Persie-esque switch to Man Utd touted.

His exit would undoubtedly be a hammer blow to Mikel Arteta’s side, and former Gunner Charlie Nicholas believes an out of favour duo should be axed in order to raise the funds to offer Aubemayang whatever he wants to sign on the dotted line. Read more…