Samuel Umtiti, the impassable rock from which Barcelona conduct their artistry, could prove Chelsea’s biggest problem

The French defender has become an integral part of Barcelona’s backline, and he will form the toughest obstacle that Chelsea will have to overcome if they are to get a result tonight

Samuel Umtiti has proven his worth to the Barcelona team since his arrival from Lyon (Getty)

Lionel Messi didn’t know very much about French defender Samuel Umtiti when he joined Barcelona in the summer of 2016.

The Argentine’s ignorance was perhaps not surprising. The €25m defender had performed well at Lyon, attracting interest from several Premier League suitors. At Euro 2016, his competence in possession in a France side that made the final caught the eye. But he was not a glamorous, ego-led player. The rangy defender, who sometimes appeared awkward-on-the-ball yet an outstanding distributor of it, was not a player attracted to the spotlight:

““I like taking a siesta,” he told Barca TV after he signed from Lyon.

“And I also prefer being at home to lazing on the beach but as my girlfriend knows the city quite well, I suppose we'll do a bit of sight-seeing!”

Unsurprisingly then, his transfer went without great fanfare. He was a player set only to play second fiddle to the established duo of Gerard Pique and Javier Mascherano, a man for next year, someone who could fill in when the need was greatest, a positive option with potential to grow.

But as Barcelona prepare to take on Chelsea in the Champions League tonight, Umtiti will be one of the first names on the visitors’ team sheet.

Umtiti’s rise has been unexpectedly quick. As a Ligue 1 export, many expected him to take time to adapt to a new, tougher division, playing in a country whose style of play was far more technical than anything the Cameroon-born defender had been exposed to.

Yet it didn’t take him long to prove his value to Barcelona’s often exposed backline. By April of last year, his influence on results was indisputable. When Umiti featured, 17 times up to that point, 17 times Barcelona won. When they didn’t play Umtiti, on 11 occasions, they won just twice.

It is perhaps no coincidence then that Barcelona are currently unbeaten in La Liga with Umtiti a staple in their back four. The Blaugrana, known for their attractive, aesthetically pleasing football, have always had an element of vulnerability to them defensively. But this season, Barca have conceded just 11 times in 24 matches. That’s a figure only beaten by Diego Simeone’s defensive charges at Atletico Madrid, a side who have scored 26 fewer goals.

Following Barcelona’s 1-0 victory over Valencia in the Copa Del Rey earlier this month, Mundo Deportivo wrote this of the Frenchman: “His fantastic performance served to make the Camp Nou audience focus on several occasions on the centre-back, repeatedly chanting his name. 'Big Sam ' is already an idol of the Estadi and has become a perfect successor to Carlos Puyol.”

Barcelona's defence has been noticeably stronger this season (Getty)

For a club so obsessed with the firepower of its frontline, the reverence shown to defender Umtiti is indicative of his standing at the Nou Camp.

The 24-year-old is not an exciting, swashbuckling nor fear-inducing centre half. He does have a strong physical presence and impressive athleticism, but his value lies as an astute, tactically proficient, tidy and composed defender. His calmness in possession allows him to be the foundation stone for his side’s attacking moves; the impassable rock from which they can construct their artistry.

It is not just Barcelona who have benefited from his excellent form. When it comes to selection, France coach Didier Deschamps has an embarrassment of riches across the field, and defence is no exception. With the likes of Raphael Varane, Laurent Koscielny, and Aymeric Laporte to compete with, the defender may well have considered revisiting the advances made by Roger Milla, who, when not perfecting corner flag celebrations, finds time to represent the Cameroonian Football Association.

Umtiti, who was born in the Cameroonian city of Yaoundé, rejected his advances to play for the country of his birth, pledging his allegiance to Les Bleus. His decision has paid off, as in every fixture since the beginning of 2017, while his co-partner has always been rotated, Umtiti has not been dropped once by Deschamps.

With great form, comes great interest, and with a release clause of just €60m, a figure that amounts to little more than loose change in today’s market, it has become of essential importance that Barcelona they tie him to a new contract.

The rumours have been circulating; Manchester United, tonight’s opponents Chelsea and a Laporte-pursuing Manchester City were all linked with a move in January.

Umtiti trains how he plays, nothing is saved

Lionel Messi

But manager Ernesto Valverde, who has been able to use Umtiti as the cornerstone from which to redesign this Barcelona side, has little fear regarding his future:

“Umtiti? We do not worry about what others do, but he is clearly a great defender who we want to have for a long time,” he said in a press conference recently.

“We are happy with him, we think he is happy in Barcelona and wants to stay, and it does not matter what a clause is if he does not want to leave. Release clauses in Spain work this way and often can create difficulties, we are calm.”

Umtiti has also broken through into a competitive French national team (Getty)

Chelsea will face a Barcelona side full of threats that they already know much about when they take to the field tonight. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta have all ran riot at the Bridge before.

But it’s in defence that the Blues will find the toughest hurdle to overcome.

“Umtiti trains how he plays, nothing is saved,” Messi said of his high-flying teammate to Marca.

“Never, neither in games nor training.

“Outside the field he is an excellent person and a great guy. I honestly did not know him much when he arrived. Watching him train, it does not surprise me what he does in games. I see the qualities that he has and that's why it does not surprise me later in the field.”

After two seasons of suffering Cristiano Ronaldo’s superiority, and in spite of the fears that came with Neymar’s ground-shifting departure, it’s in part thanks to Umtiti that Messi has been able to dominate La Liga again.

He may not have known of his talents before, but he certainly values them now.