Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti rejected Liverpool's offer in January - Reports 

Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti reportedly turned down the chance of joining Liverpool towards the closing stages of the winter transfer window. The 27-year-old was approached by the Reds but he elected to remain at Camp Nou and fight for his place, according to a report by The Athletic.

The France international has made just five La Liga appearances for Barcelona this season, with fitness issues seeing him lose his starting spot.

Liverpool themselves have also been plagued with injury problems, especially in defense. The Premier League champions currently have three first-team center-backs ruled out for the long-term.

This has seen Jurgen Klopp field traditional midfielders like Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in the center of defense. He also had to use inexperienced campaigners like Rhys Williams and Nat Philips, which is hardly ideal considering the level the club performs at.

A relentless performance from the Reds 🙌⚽️Rewind to brilliant highlights from #LIVMCI in 2019 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/KK4ltyXgoW

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 6, 2021

This made signing a center-back a priority for Liverpool. They reportedly turned to Barcelona, but Umtiti was not convinced by the proposition of a move to Anfield.

Nevertheless, the Reds still got business done in time, with Turkey international Ozan Kabak arriving on loan from Schalke, while Ben Davies joined from Preston North End on a permanent deal.

Barcelona and Liverpool's defensive issues could hamper their chances of attaining success this season

Samuel Umtiti has been affected by injuries

Both Barcelona and Liverpool have their defensive leaders ruled out with long-term injuries. Gerard Pique has not been in action since being landed on awkwardly by Angel Correa in the clash with Atletico Madrid last November.

Virgil Van Dijk was also on the receiving end of a horror studs-on challenge to his knee by Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby last October. The two men are integral to marshaling their respective team's defenses and their absence has left a gaping hole difficult that has proven difficult to fill.

Liverpool and Barcelona have been plagued by defensive issues throughout the season and this contributed greatly to their underperformance to this point.

For the Reds, there still remains a slim possibility of successfully defending their Premier League crown, but getting a positive result against table-toppers Manchester City is non-negotiable.

⚡️LIVE NOW! ⚡️ Barça training session ahead of #BetisBarça!🖥 Watch now on Barça TV+👉 https://t.co/bbVNGXoMPq pic.twitter.com/y6lPkzVWAP

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 6, 2021

Barcelona's quest in La Liga is practically over, with a rampant Atletico Madrid not showing any signs of letting up. However, the Blaugrana still have an opportunity in the cup as well as the UEFA Champions League.

If both teams are to achieve any modicum of success in the current campaign, fixing up their defensive porosity is of paramount importance.