Samuel Umtiti

Date of Birth	Nationality	Current Club	Position	Strengths		Weaknesses	Transfer Rumours	Market Value (where applicable)	Similar Players
				Physical	Technical
14/11/1993	French	Lyon	CB/LB	Strength	Positioning Marking, Tackling	Technique, On the Ball	Tottenham, Newcastle, AC Milan	8-10m euros	-

Samuel Umtiti is a Cameroonian born French player who currently plays for Lyon. He is 19-years-old and plays either Centre Back or Left Back. Umtiti is not a typical modern left back as he leans more towards the defensive side, however, he is a player who does not take risks. This is important to have, as he is more cautious about what he does. This is also where his weakness lies. He doesn’t tend to make darting runs up field due to the limit of his technical abilities, namely passing. He will rarely be found on the ball and most of the passes he makes would be long balls.

Defensively however Umtiti shows his class. A great reader of the game, Umtiti is able to stay in the defensive line unless he spots an opportunity to gain possession. In this situation he is able to regain possession most of the time. His tendency to stay in the defensive line, however, leaves him acting as the last man in a lot of situations which pushes the defensive line further back creating spaces for the attackers. His marking of attackers comes with his positioning and how he reads the game. More often than not you will find him glued to his man without giving him any space to roam. This is especially useful during set pieces as he is able to thwart the attacker from getting a chance on goal.  Umtiti is a great tackler of the ball. Although he is not the tallest player, it is not easy to overcome him in a physical battle. He plays this to his advantage while making well-timed and precise tackles. He is also a very good header of the ball, coupled with his great positioning and jumping, Umtiti is a very good threat in the box during Attacking plays and a great asset to have in defence while defending aerial threats.

He has recently been linked with Tottenham, Newcastle and AC Milan. Tottenham, who are on the lookout for a new left back, saw first hand the capabilities of Umtiti when they played Lyon in the Europa League. He scored a blinder of a goal. Umtiti is still only 19 and has many years ahead of him. He plays for a big club and has begun to gain more first team experience with 23 starts for Lyon this season. A few more years at Lyon may help him gain experience and confidence, which can then improve his game and maturity and see him play champions league football and even International Football for France.