Newcastle United are preparing to make a bid of £17m for Barcelona outcast Samuel Umtiti as they look to boost their fight against Premier League relegation.
The 28-year-old has struggled for game time at Barcelona over the last three seasons and is completely out of favour this campaign, making just one La Liga appearance so far.
He has regularly been linked with a move away from the Nou Camp and the club are now very keen to get rid of him as they look to trim their substantial wage bill amid their ongoing financial troubles.
The centre-back is reportedly paid £220,000-a-week by Barcelona, a huge amount that they could do without spending on a back-up defender.
Newcastle, under their filthy rich owners, would be one of the few clubs willing to swoop for Umtiti and offer him the kind of wages he would be looking for.
The Sun report that a £17m bid could be incoming in January from the Magpies as Eddie Howe looks to improve a defence which has conceded 42 goals in just 19 league games this season.
Umtiti has played over 130 times for Barcelona, previously made 170 appearances for Lyon and has picked up 31 caps for France, winning the World Cup in 2018, so there is no doubting the defender’s excellent pedigree.
However, he has not only found himself down the pecking order at Barcelona because of competition for places, but also because of ongoing injury problems.
Knee injuries have seen him miss a lot of time since signing for Barca in 2016 and Newcastle would certainly be concerned about his ability to play every week as they try to maintain their Premier League status.
The Sun report states that others are also interested in the Frenchman, though, with Benfica and AC Milan also linked with a move for him.
Umtiti’s only appearance of the season so far for Barcelona came earlier this month in a 2-2 draw at Osasuna when Barca twice surrendered the lead against the underdogs.
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