Hero of the Blues at the 2018 World Cup before experiencing years of struggles and injuries at FC Barcelona, defender Samuel Umtiti will return to the French championship by signing in Lille, a source close to the club said on Friday confirming information from RMC. The 2018 world champion with the Blues, whose contract duration is not known, should be officially presented tomorrow by the Lille club, which is taking a gamble by recruiting an experienced player recently released by FC Barcelona and who must relaunch his career.
The long crossing of the desert after the coronation
Arrived in 2016 at Barça from Olympique Lyonnais, his training club, Umtiti formed for two years the titular hinge with Gerard Piqué, winning two championships, three King’s Cups and two Spanish Supercups, but then lived a much more difficult period, chaining injuries. Particularly handicapped by chronic pain in the left knee, “Big Sam” has experienced a long crossing of the desert, playing only fifty matches during the four seasons after the title of the Blues of 2018.
Loaned to Lecce last season, the 29-year-old had a full year there, playing 25 matches, and brought his experience to help keep the Italian club in Serie A, narrowly acquired with one day remaining. The Puglia fans were not mistaken when they gave him a huge ovation for his last home game. While his future was still uncertain, the 2018 world champion was released at the beginning of July from his contract with the Catalan club running until the end of the 2025/2026 season.
A framework of the Blues in 2018
An essential link in the coronation of the Blues in Russia, Umtiti never regained the level that had been his during this competition: imperial in defense, dominating in the physical duel, he had also scored the winning goal against Belgium in the semi-final with a header, an action celebrated by a dance praised by the rapper Vegedream. The French international (31 caps, 4 goals), who had once retained the confidence of Didier Deschamps despite his starving playing time in Catalonia, has not played with the tricolor jersey since June 2019 and a defeat of France against Turkey in the Euro 2020 playoff match.
After his successful rebound in Lecce, Umtiti must bring his experience to the defense of Lille, fifth in the championship last season, and who lost their veteran captain José Fonte, 39, who left for Braga after nearly 200 matches with the Mastiffs. The French defender is Lille’s third recruit this summer after the Portuguese right-back Tiago Santos, bought 6.5 million euros from Estoril, and the Icelandic international attacking midfielder Hákon Haraldsson, from FC Copenhagen for an unspecified amount.