Barcelona reportedly ready to sell one of their key players to Man Utd in order to bring in Arsenal’s top target

Spanish Laliga giants, Barcelona would consider selling France international Samuel Umtiti to Manchester United this summer if it helped them sign Arsenal’s No 1 target, Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax Amsterdam.

Umtiti was part of the France team that won the FIFA World Cup in Russia last year but he has had little chance this season as injury has taken a toll on him giving his fellow countryman Clement Lenglet the chance to take up his place in the starting lineup.

The current La Liga leaders want the 19-year-old Holland international to be former Manchester United player Gerard Pique’s long-term replacement at the club, but the stumbling block in the deal is that, Ajax are insisting on the same €85million for the player as Barcelona have just paid for his teammate both in club and country Frenkie de Jong, along with wages and payments to De Ligt’s agent Mino Raiola.

If they are to beat the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Juventus to the player’s signature they will have to sell, and Umtiti – who has dropped below Clement Lenglet in the pecking order – is the chosen one to be the sacrificial lamb as they are ready to listen to offers for him.

Reliable sources close to the Blaugranas believe English Premier League gainst Manchester United will watched Umtiti on Monday night when he played for France against Iceland and he went on to impress as he scored the first goal of the game.

The former Olympique Lyonnaic defender has said he wants to stay at Barcelona. In a Telefoot interview recently when he was asked a series of questions and told to give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or ‘don’t know’ answer, he was asked will you still be at Barcelona next season and he answered ‘yes’.

He has also told international team-mate Antoine Griezmann he wants to see him at Barcelona next season, and sees himself continuing to play on the left of any future central defensive partnership alongside Pique or De Ligt, who also prefers to play on the right.

Umtiti was linked with a move to Old trafford last season but he went to sign a new contract with the Catalans. But now that Barcelona are looking for a better replacement Man United can actually get their man on a platter of gold but the only biggest concern would be the 25-year-old’s injury problems. He has missed three months of this season with a cartilage problem in his left knee that he has elected not to have operated on.

Despite the fact that Lenglet has overtaken him in the Barcelona team, France coach Didier Deschamps still preferred Umtiti in his squad. Sportsmail understands Barcelona players would be against the sale of a man who played a major role in the team winning the league last season.

Do you think Barcelona will be making a wrong decision on allowing Umtiti go in order to bring in De Ligt? Share your view on this in the comment session