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Spurs are Monitoring 22-year-old Center-back Samuel Umtiti

By Alexander Balano

LYON - AUGUST 9: Samuel Umtiti of Lyon in action during the French Ligue 1 match between Olympique Lyonnais (OL) and FC Lorient at Stade de Gerland on August 9, 2015 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
LYON - AUGUST 9: Samuel Umtiti of Lyon in action during the French Ligue 1 match between Olympique Lyonnais (OL) and FC Lorient at Stade de Gerland on August 9, 2015 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) /
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Spurs might not be finished upgrading their central defense as Under-21 French international, Samuel Umtiti, has surfaced as a potential transfer target.

At first glance, many people would look at Spurs’ three center-backs of Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Kevin Wimmer and think that they have more than enough. And while that’s true, adding a fourth central defender is crucial to finally give Alderweireld a much needed break.

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So who could Spurs be looking at? According to L’Equipe Tottenham are monitoring 22-year-old central defender Samuel Umtiti from Olympique Lyon.

The gist of what Google Translate said is that Spurs are “interested and could send an offer”. Being interested in a player is standard for any transfer rumor, but contemplating about an offer is entirely different. That means that teams — in this case Spurs — are dead set on getting their guy as soon as possible.

After last season’s overhaul at central defense, adding another center-back through the summer transfer window could be a sign that Cameron-Carter Vickers and Dominic Ball aren’t ready just yet. Or it could just be Spurs doing their due diligence on the Under-21 French international.

Lyon's French Cameroonian defender Samuel Umtiti (L) vies with Bordeaux's French midfielder Adam Ounas (R) during the French L1 football match Lyon (OL) vs Bordeaux (FCGB), on February 3, 2016, at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Decines-Charpieu, central-eastern France. AFP PHOTO / JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP / JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK (Photo credit should read JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK/AFP/Getty Images)
Lyon’s French Cameroonian defender Samuel Umtiti (L) vies with Bordeaux’s French midfielder Adam Ounas (R) during the French L1 football match Lyon (OL) vs Bordeaux (FCGB), on February 3, 2016, at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Decines-Charpieu, central-eastern France. AFP PHOTO / JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP / JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK (Photo credit should read JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK/AFP/Getty Images) /

This past March, Bleacher Report wrote an article which looked at who Samuel Umtiti is and what he would bring to a team. At the time, Umtiti was linked to Barcelona.

Here are some of the highlights from Bleacher Report’s story:

"Umtiti has been building experience up at Lyon himself. He has played 163 times for the club, 140 of those at centre-back, 19 on the left, per Transfermarkt.He has scored three times in 124 Ligue 1 appearances and once in 13 Europa League games.Umtiti doesn’t mess around when playing at centre-back. He likes challenging for the ball, taking a proactive role in defence.Other players prefer to back away and not to commit, but he likes winning it back quickly.The defender has no qualms about dribbling with the ball or taking on a man, especially when playing at left-back. He can finish, too."

Ligue 1 expert, Andrew Gibney, also spoke highly of the young defender.

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“Breaking through as a left-back, he has maintained his ability with the ball at his feet, stepping out from the back four to push the ball forward.”

“In France, there is a similarity between the way centre-backs and defensive midfielders play the game. You need to be comfortable in possession, Umtiti is a great example of that.”

Dribbling with the ball at his feet is just one thing that Samuel Umtiti is good at. Another is how well he reads the game at such a young age. Something that Mauricio Pochettino looks for in players and covets.

“Umtiti is still relatively young for a commanding centre-back, but reads the game extremely well,” Gibney continued.

“He is an excellent man-on-man defender, but with the mobility and pace to recover and anticipate.”

“He has become a natural leader in the Lyon defence, helping the more experienced Mapou Yanga-M’Biwa get over his shaky start to the season. With Umtiti at the heart of the back four, Lyon not only have a strong, physical presence, someone who is dominant in the air, but he is calm in possession.”

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Whether Spurs are just merely interested in Samuel Umtiti or are serious, there’s a lot to like from the quotes above. Of course Cameron Carter-Vickers and Dominic Ball should at least be in contention for a possible promotion to the first-team first.

If Spurs enter next season with only three center-backs then Kevin Wimmer has to rotate in more frequently to limit the amount of games that Toby Alderweireld plays in. Otherwise there could be some problems, because Federico Fazio won’t return once his loan ends with Sevilla.

Signing Samuel Umtiti could make an already good center-back group even better.