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An ideal partner to Otamendi: This €60m-rated defender could make Man City’s defence unbeatable

An ideal partner to Otamendi: Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti could make Man City’s defence unbeatable

Manchester City are reportedly interested in sealing a move for Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti as Pep Guardiola is keen to strengthen his side and ensure they stay ahead of the competition for the remaining season. The 24-year-old has earned rave reviews for his performances for the Catalan giants this season and has played quite a crucial role in holding the fort at the back for Ernesto Valverde’s men.

It comes as no surprise that the Premier League champions-elect are interested in him. He does have a €60million release clause in his current contract with Barcelona but as we have all seen before, money has never been an issue for the cash-rich club, which goes to provide all the more evidence that the move could actually be sanctioned.

As of now, Guardiola has the likes of John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi, Vincent Kompany and even the struggling Eliaquim Mangala. However, he was stretched for options when Stones and Kompany had to deal with injuries. Otamendi has been quite strong and consistent for City this term so let’s take a look at how his stats compare to that of Umtiti’s.

Nicolas Otamendi vs Samuel Umtiti

In 26 appearances for Manchester City across competitions this season, Otamendi has scored 5 goals and has also picked up 7 yellow cards. He boasts of a pass success-rate of 92.2% and wins about 2.6 aerial duels on an average. He has picked up five Man Of The Match awards so far and makes an average of 1.6 tackles, 1.8 interceptions along with 3.5 clearances and 0.3 blocks. The player even scored an own goal this season.

Nicolas Otamendi

Umtiti, on the other hand, has appeared 17 times for Barcelona across all competitions so far this term. He has received 4 yellow cards and has a pass success-rate of 92.3%. He wins 1.5 aerial battles a game on an average and is yet to win a Man Of The Match award so far in the current campaign. The player makes about 2 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2.2 clearances and 0.4 blocks per game.

Verdict

Umtiti is quite young when compared to Otamendi and obviously does not have as much experience. Yet, his numbers are almost on par with the prolific Manchester City defender. He has easily been one of the best in the league this season and has set a benchmark of sorts at City.

Considering the fact that the Barcelona star boasts of similar numbers, a move for Umtiti does seem like a good option for Guardiola. Also, given the freedom the manager allows his centre-backs, Umtiti might also start chipping in with goals if he did join City.

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