It appears that FC Barcelona have finally begun to end their center-back troubles, with the signing of Samuel Umtiti from Olympique Lyon for 25 million euros. The 22-year-old Frenchmen joins the blaugrana on a five-year contract with a buyout clause of 60 million euros.
This is a pivotal signing for Barça, as they’ve been feeble when it comes to quality at the back. The options behind Piqué and Mascherano didn’t install much confidence, and for good reason.
Jérémy Mathieu is ticking time bomb that can lose a game for you at any time (Villareal, anyone?). He was better than anybody expected during the 2014-2015 season, where he showed he was convincing enough to be the 3rd choice CB. But he’s been steadily declining ever since, and he’s been absolutely woeful in this year’s first three preseason games.
Thomas Vermaelen, who has just joined AS Roma on a year loan with an option to buy, showed some signs of quality during his two-year stint. His performances early in the 2015-2016 La Liga season, especially against Málaga where he scored the game’s only goal, were surprising but greatly needed. However, that’s the biggest contribution the Belgian was able to give to Barça. The former Ajax and Arsenal captain just couldn’t stay on the field. He had rampant injury problems that unfortunately limited him to only 11 appearances in two seasons.
Marc Bartra, who was probably the best of the three backup CB’s, has recently left Barcelona after 14 years for German super power Borussia Dortmund for 8 million euros. It’s a shame to see Bartra go. He showed so much promise and potential under Tata Martino during the 2013-2014 season, but was unable to impress Luis Enrique. For whatever reason, Bartra just wasn’t able to cut it, which led to his emotional farewell.
Piqué and Mascherano, albeit a world-class tandem, can’t expect to play every game because of the potential for fatigue and bad form. And with such barren options, Barça was in dire need of some fresh blood.
Enter Umtiti. A young, upstart defender who is PERFECT for Barcelona. He’s comfortable in possession, an excellent passer of the ball, and is more the sufficient enough to build from the back. Combine that with his pace and aerial ability (despite only being 5’11), he brings a much-needed jolt to the backline.
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Clearly, Umtiti is the future star CB for the Catalan giants. There’s no questioning that. But his arrival is the genesis of a more intriguing question and topic.
Is Umtiti good enough to start right now? I don’t think it’s that absurd. But the problem doesn’t lie with is he good enough, or when he’ll good enough, but who he’ll be replacing.
There’s zero chance Piqué loses his spot. He’s arguably the best defender in the world when on form, and is the defensive stabilizer for Barça. That leaves Javier Mascherano. El Jefecito.
Mascherano is the on field leader for Barça. The captain without the armband. He’s an emotional leader and a fierce competitor for a team that hasn’t seen much of that since Puyol left. But he offers so much more than just his intangibles. Along with his exceptional skill at building play from the back, the man is a naturally gifted defender. A converted defensive midfielder, Mascherano has provided a defensive focus for the back line. A great tackler of the ball, he often wins the ball back for Barcelona and uses his passing ability to launch the team forward in attack. He has a knack for being someplace at the right moment (Bendtner comes to mind).
But Mascherano isn’t invincible. Father time takes toll on everybody, and it’s no different in this case. While only 32, he isn’t the type of player he once was. So here we have a potential quandary for Barcelona. Mascherano or Umtiti? Old or young? Experience vs youth? Assurance or potential?
It didn’t take long for me to figure out my answer. It became abundantly clear to me. The man you turn to is Javier Mascherano. Without a doubt.
You should never ever abandon the heart and soul of your team. Without that soothing presence, who knows how your team will fare under pressure.
Comparing the two just purely as defenders, Mascherano has the edge over Umtiti. Tackling isn’t the strongest part of Umtiti’s game. And while he will certainly improve, he doesn’t provide the skill that Mascherano has in that department. Another huge part of defending is communication. Whether it’s on set pieces or just keeping the back line together, you have to be able to communicate with your team well or else you risk the chance of attackers running in behind you.
I am not implying that Umtiti is poor at this because he is very mature and composed despite being only 22 years old. It’s just that Mascherano is the embodiment of a great communicator. He’s always barking instructions and making sure everyone is ready to go on set pieces. Along with Piqué, Mascherano is the one who is always on top of what the opposition is doing to try to score. You can’t afford to lose that.
There’s also the fact that Umtiti has never played in the Barça system and has zero experience in La Liga. It would be unwise and quite honestly impudent to not give him time to settle in. You can’t thrust him into the spotlight. He needs to grow and develop and truly make sure he’s ready to become a regular starter in the first XI.
Luckily, Barça do not need Umtiti to reach his potential just yet. Mascherano is still one of the best in the world and isn’t ready to give up his spot. As long as he shows no signs of slowing down, expect Mascherano to be the trusted starter, with Umtiti as his understudy. Umtiti will have starts against the likes of Real Sociedad, Espanyol, Real Betis, etc, Mascherano will undoubtedly be the one against Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Valencia, and Sevilla.
Barcelona have found a jewel in Samuel Umtiti. He can be a reliable starter for the next decade. But Javier Mascherano, El Jefecito, the club legend, isn’t going anywhere yet.