Reports in Spain claim Manchester United are set to launch a bid for Barcelona’s Samuel Umtit after losing out on Ajax skipper, who has allegedly opted to sign for Juventus.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must give the squad an overhaul and the defence needs prioritising.
READ MORE: Loads of thrilled Man Utd fans react as club close in on second summer signing
And, while the future of De Ligt remains unsolved, Mundo Deportivo state that United are keen to rekindle their interest in Umiti, as cited by Football Espana.
After signing for Barcelona in 2016, Umtiti has found game time limited and that hasn’t been helped by a mixture of knee and hamstring injuries.
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde already has Gerard Pique and Christian Lenglet at the back and they too were looking to bolster their defence by signing De Ligt this summer, though it now looks like the Netherlands international will join Juventus.
Juventus have agreement with de Ligt for his contract: 2024, €12M/season [add ons included, precisely €8M + add ons].
There will be a release clause into his contract with Juve (around €150M).
Juve will now start talks with Ajax. PSG still in the race.#transfers #Juve 🔴🇳🇱
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 26, 2019
A blow for the many clubs that were chasing the 19-year-old.
But Umtiti could be a good alternative option as long as he can stay fit.
Solskjaer’s side suffered horribly at the back last season, conceding 54 times. It’s no wonder we didn’t make the cut for Champions League qualification with a defence letting in so many goals.
The Red Devils are on the verge of completing a deal to sign Crystal Palace right-back, who after Daniel James should become the second player to sign this summer, as per the Irish Times.
