3 center backs Arsenal should target in January 2020

#3 Samuel Umtiti

Samuel Umtiti seems to have lost his way at Barcelona this season

Samuel Umtiti made an instant impact at Barcelona after moving to Spain from French club Lyon. But after an impressive two and a half years, things have changed a lot for the Frenchman. He helped the Blaugrana win two league titles, two Copa del Rey and two Supercopa de Espana, but a serious knee injury last season hampered his climb to the top.

This knee injury forced him to miss more than half of Barcelona's games last season during which his compatriot Clement Langlet made a huge impression and made the center back position his own. Umtiti has just managed five appearances so far this season, and according to reports, he is desperately looking for a new club.

In the summer, Arsenal reportedly wanted to sign him on loan but went with David Luiz instead. However, given their current defensive crisis, Arsenal should be keeping an eye on him. His passing, experience and leadership will go a long way in helping Arsenal fix their defense.

He might turn out to be a little expensive for Arsenal this January but a loan deal, similar to what was reported over the summer, could very well materialize, especially considering Raul Sanllehi's connections in Barcelona.

With William Saliba set to join Arsenal at the end of this season, having Umtiti as his partner, should he end up joining Arsenal permanently, could be the long-awaited answer to Arsenal's defensive problems.