Chelsea have reportedly put Olympic Lyonnaise defender Samuel Umtiti on their summer transfer wish list, as Jose Mourinho aims to inject youth into his ageing back line.
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The France under-21 international has earned a glowing reputation in Ligue 1 – having already recorded a tally of 100 domestic appearances for Lyon. Arguably the most memorable moment of his career came when he unleashed a wonder striker versus Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League in 2013.
One World Sports claim that Jose Mourinho has identified the youngster as a top summer target, as the Portuguese manager wants to give himself further tactical options in defence. According to the report, John Terry’s lack of pace combined with Gary Cahill’s questionable decision making at times has left the Real Madrid manager feeling he must sign a quick player with tactical intelligence.
Umtiti is rumoured to fit the bill.
The 21-year-old has two years remaining on his contract at the Stade de Gerland and Lyon value the versatile defender at €15m.
Umtiti, left-footed, can play as both a centre-half and a left-back, and given Filipe Luis could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge in the summer [via Independent Business Times], Mourinho could be in need of a replacement to the Spaniard.
Mourinho seems eager to complete his summer transfers early, and Radamel Falcao, who has reportedly agreed personal terms with the Blues, is set to be the Premier League champions’ first signing of the window [via BBC Sport].
Nonetheless, Chelsea could face a tough challenge to secure his signature, as Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are all interested [via the Daily Star].
Lyon boast an academy with the second highest success-rate behind Spanish giants Barcelona in Europe [via Yahoo], and it’s no wonder another of their young stars is attracting interest from England’s top flight.