5 potential replacements for Samuel Umtiti if he leaves Barcelona

#1 Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid)

Hernandez will be by far the best replacement if Umtiti decides to move away from the Camp Nou

Intelligent, aggressive, possessing a cultured left foot and an improving understanding of the game, Lucas is a firm favourite of Atleti coach Diego “Cholo” Simeone and the sky seems to be the limit for what this young Frenchman can achieve.

His ability to also function effectively on the left side of the defence will be a boon for manager Ernesto Valverde as it means an extra option in case of injuries. His abilities also mean that if signed, Barca can comfortably deploy a back-three thereby allowing the full-backs to push on and overload the opposition in their own half.

He has featured mostly as a left-back for Atletico this season as Jose Gimenez and Stefan Savic have been chosen to partner and might have to play the same role if he is to make the French squad to the World Cup (he made his debut against Russia in a recent friendly).

It is unclear how much the move will cost the Catalans but if Umtiti leaves, Barca will be hard pressed to get a better replacement.