Samuel Umtiti Reportedly Threatens Barcelona Exit Amid Manchester United Rumours

Manchester United's chances of signing Samuel Umtiti may soon improve following reports the defender has threatened to leave Barcelona unless they come closer to meeting his demands on a new contract. 

AS (h/t Sport Witness) reported Umtiti—who has a €60 million (£52.8 million) buyout clause in his current deal—has told Barca he will take his leave unless he gets the lucrative deal he's after.

United are ready to pounce, it seems, as the report mentioned the Premier League giants have already tabled an offer worth an annual salary of €9 million (£7.9 million) after tax—roughly £150,000 per week. 

That is almost identical to the £8 million-per-year deal MailOnline's Pete Jenson reported Umtiti, 24, is seeking, and Yahoo's Andrew Gaffney has said the France international would be a potential bargain signing:

United already have one star at centre-back in Eric Bailly. The Ivory Coast international has been a sensation since joining from Villarreal in 2016, but the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind aren't of the same standard.

Umtiti's buyout clause seems so modest because, as Sport Witness quoted reports in the Catalan media as saying, "few at the club expected him to be so good already."

Both Jenson and Sport Witness pointed out the similarities between Umtiti's situation, United's interest and the saga that saw Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos reportedly come close to joining the Red Devils in 2015.

It's true Umtiti's camp could merely be using the English powerhouse as a bargaining ploy to land a better deal at the Camp Nou, and blogger Liam Canning said a new contract may not be far out of sight:

The financial benefits of a move to United this summer are clear to see, but while it seems unlikely Barcelona will be willing to treble their central defender's salary, his career aspirations seem better served in Catalonia right now.

The Catalan media have also reported on alleged contact between Umtiti and United manager Jose Mourinho, via Sport Witness:

Umtiti's swift rise to stardom at the Camp Nou may be a surprise even to his employers, but it seems that if they don't stump up the desired contract, Old Trafford could be a genuine option for the Frenchman.

According to AS' original report, "there's a long way to go" in negotiations between Umtiti and his employers regarding a new contract, which may give United time to advance their pursuit for one of Europe's biggest prospects.