Newcastle United are being linked with a move for Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti as the cash-rich Magpies plot a major January splash.
Newcastle are right in the relegation scrap at the bottom of the Premier League table. Considering the recent takeover saw them become the richest football club on the planet, you imagine the Saudi consortium pulling the strings at St. James’ Park will be keen to ensure they do not drop down to the Championship.
As is reported by 90min, Newcastle could look to recruit as many as SIX players in January in a desperate bid to avoid relegation, with one of them being out of favour Barcelona centre-back Samuel Umtiti. The Frenchman is expected to be heading out the Camp Nou exit door in the transfer window.
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Umtiti previously showed great promise at Barca but his career has taken a rather drastic nosedive. Still, Newcastle clearly fancy their chances of bringing him back to his best. If they were successful in doing so, they’d have a top-class defender on their hands – and one recruited for ‘just’ £17m, as per the report.
It remains to be seen whether Umtiti would be open to the idea of signing for a club in the relegation zone of the Premier League table, but money talks. The alternative, so the report claims, is Lille’s Sven Botman. Signing a new centre-back appears to be high on Newcastle’s list of priorities this month.
