Samuel Umtiti set to join Lille after passing medical | OneFootball

With his contract at Barcelona now terminated, World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti is set for a return to Ligue 1 seven years after initially leaving formative club Lyon.

According to RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins, the 29-year-old centre-back is set to sign a two-year contract with Lille, having already successfully passed his medical with Les Dogues.

The defender’s time in Catalonia had been blighted by recurring knee injuries, which he had played through in order to help France win the World Cup back in 2018 – notably scoring the winner in the semi-final against Belgium. His last international cap came in 2019.

During his loan spell at Lecce this past season, Umtiti enjoyed his first full season in five years, and was crucial in helping the Apulians stay up in Serie A. He will now continue his career recovery as part of Paulo Fonseca’s Lille side, who are set to play in the Conference League next season.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin