5 players for whom the pre-season can be telling

#5 Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona)

Samuel Umtiti was praised for his performances in the Euros

Umtiti hasn’t emerged out of the blue, even though his status of late has been constantly ascending. He’s been one of the most promising defenders around for years, but with his performance in the Euros and a transfer to Barcelona, this represents the highest point of his career by some distance.

But things can change very quickly in football, and when you think that Barcelona have a reputed center back pairing in Mascherano and Pique. And one wonders if Umtiti will have to spend considerable time on the Catalan club's bench. It’ll be vital for him to show that he’s not moved to La Liga for Barcelona’s glitz and is willing to fight for his place in the team.