Everton line up Umtiti move

Everton are preparing to move for Barcelona’s Samuel Umtiti, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The defender is apparently wanted by Toffees’ boss Carlo Ancelotti, while at the Camp Nou he is no more than surplus to requirements under Ronald Koeman.

Ties between Barcelona and Everton are strong at the moment. The Premier League side’s director of football Marcel Brands replaced Steve Walsh in that role in May 2018, and since then, Everton have signed three players from the Catalans, namely left-back Lucas Digne, midfielder Andre Gomes and defender Yerry Mina.

It seems Barcelona are happy to enter the negotiations with Everton over Umtiti, being keen to get his £75,000 per week of their wage bill. The 27-year-old 31-time capped France international started his career at Olympique Lyon, from which he joined Barcelona in the summer of 2016. His time at the Catalan club has been riddled with injuries, and he has almost three years left on his contract.