French newspaper L’Équipe revealed that French international star Samuel Umtiti, former Barcelona player and 2018 World Cup winner with France, has set a deadline of September 10 to find a club interested in his services; otherwise, he will officially announce his retirement from football.

Umtiti has suffered from a series of recurring knee injuries since the 2018 season, which significantly affected his career trajectory until he ended up without a club. His problems began in 2018 when he suffered a left knee cartilage injury but refused surgery, opting instead for muscle strengthening sessions to participate in the 2018 World Cup. He indeed played in the major global event and was one of the key factors in France’s World Cup victory.

After the World Cup, he struggled with his club Barcelona due to repeated injuries and lost his starting position, leading to a loan spell with Italian club Lecce in 2022, followed by a stint with French club Lille in 2023. However, the knee injury persisted throughout these periods, making his professional experiences unstable and ultimately leaving him without a club in the current transfer window.