FC Barcelona will close the deal on Lyon's centre back Samuel Umtiti in the upcoming weeks for over €30m in a five year contract. The timing of announcement of the transfer depends on auditors. Fees will be registered in 2016/2017 fiscal year.

An Olympique Lyonnais 22-year-old defender, Samuel Umtiti already has a terrific record to bestow upon himself. He may have never played with the French national team yet, but his noteworthy 2015/2016 season – coupled with Jeremy Mathieu’s withdrawal from the Euros due to injury - has propelled him into Didier Deschamps’ 23-man squad for the ongoing Euro Championship.

Umtiti rose to prominence as part of the under-17 French team that, notably led by Antoine Griezmann, won the Euro Championship against Spain. He made his way into Lyon’s first team in the next season, replacing Cris, who had been one of the symbols of the 7-consecutive-time French champion, 3-consecutive-time Champions League quarterfinalists 2000’s Lyon squad. Umtiti passed the test with flying colours and never left the Gones’ starting XI since then. 129 league appearances later, he’s Lyon’s vice-captain and a success symbol of the local academy President Jean-Michel Aulas is particularly – and rightly so- proud of.

Umtiti’s preferred position on the pitch is central left back, although he started his career as a mere left back. His playing style is characterized by his technique: his accurate passes (over 85% of pass success percentage) allow his team to quickly push forward. He’s also capable to surge forward by himself, which is a rare quality for a defender. Umtiti also has the ability to read the game sharply and to cut off right-wing crosses. An often-underrated aspect of his panoply, his shooting helped him score one of the goals of the year in 2013 at White Hart Lane. Finally, with more than 80% tackle success rate, Samuel Umtiti is one of the best tacklers in the Ligue 1, having a higher tackle success rate than Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Maxwell, Van der Wiel, Matuidi, Verratti and Motta.

What makes Umtiti a convincing signing is that he could adapt instantly to Barcelona’s needs at the back, in addition to his technique, is his capacity to not bow to the pressure imposed by the opponent when it comes to defending. He’s not the type of defender who will kick the ball away to try to find a random fulcrum player or a throw in. Kick and rush is neither Barcelona’s philosophy nor his. Umtiti’s aerial prowess (around 3 aerial duels won per game, see graph below) could be an upgrade for Barcelona’s defense, which lacks of impact in the challenges in the air, both on defensive and offensive situations. Furthermore, Umtiti already has 22 appearances in European competitions, carrying some top-level experience.

All in all, the fact that Barcelona stares longingly at Samuel Umtiti is no mystery. At 22 years of age, Umtiti exudes serenity among the defensive line-up of the second best team in France. In April 2015, L’Équipe titled: “Besides Umtiti, the desert”, and it pretty much summed up his preponderant role in Lyon’s defense. Could he be a great match for Barcelona’s aging central defense? Perhaps it’s too early to announce him as a sure-fire bet, but I'm confident he will. After all, the last time Barcelona signed defensive minded players from Lyon (Edmilson, Abidal), it worked pretty well.