Senior Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti contemplated retirement aged just 31, with his chronic knee problems coming back to haunt him once again.
The veteran French defender played just one game in 2024, and underwent two more knee operations, one in February and another in August. His contract is up next summer, and Lille intend to let him go.
The Copa del Rey match against Barbastro offers Ansu Fati a key chance to prove himself. Ansu has not scored for Barca since June 2023, but remains determined to succeed at his boyhood club. @bonagerman
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 23, 2024
It looked like Breast cancer He began to return to fitness two seasons ago, playing regularly for Lecce on loan in 2022-23, and Lille signed him on the back of that on a free. With their last game in January, however, Lille has little hope of returning, and Sport say Umtiti could call it quits.
Umtiti looked like one of the great talents in football when he arrived at Barcelona, but after undergoing knee surgery to play in the 2018 World Cup, which he won, he has been battling knee problems ever since. .
