After years of searching, it finally appears as if Barcelona have the centre-back they have been looking for, with Samuel Umtiti impressing in his first weeks at the club and already beginning to battle with Javier Mascherano for the left centre-back starting role.
A deal with Lyon for 25 million euros, few may have been watching the young defender regularly in Ligue 1, but his relative obscurity didn't stop others from quickly realising his potential, despite a hefty price tag.
A centre-back of immense potential
The centre-back is clearly on his way up, convincing Didier Deschamps to chose him in the latter stages of Euro 2016, just as he is doing with Luis Enrique now at the start of his Barcelona career.
Mascherano's starting role under threat
Never has the Argentine's position been as coveted as it is right now, with neither Jeremy Mathieu and Thomas Vermaelen truly untroubling him much in recent years.
One of the few matches without Umtiti came against Alaves, which didn't leave the centre-back pairing of Mascherano-Mathieu in the best of lights.
Minutes played in official matches this 2016/17 season so far
1- Gerard Pique: 360 minutes (4 matches as starter)
2- Samuel Umtiti: 341 minutes (4 matches as starter)
3- Javier Mascherano: 289 minutes (3 matches as starter)
4- Jeremy Mathieu: 117 minutes (1 match as starter)
Marc Bartra, Andreu Fontas, Marc Muniesa, the 15 million euros paid for Mathieu and 20m for Vermaelen all look as if the club were going through some necessary growing pains compared to the promising beginnings of Umtiti.
The club may finally have the centre-back they've been after all of this time.
