Ex-Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti completes Lille medical

Samuel Umtiti has completed his medical tests with LOSC Lille ahead of his return to Ligue 1, reports Fabrice Hawkins.

The French defender will pen a two-year contract with Lille and an official announcement could be made today.

Umititi has been a free agent since terminating his contract with Barcelona earlier this month.

After joining the Catalan giants from Lyon in 2016, Umtiti quickly became a pillar in the defence.

However, his career derailed soon after the 2018 World Cup triumph due to various injury problems in the seasons that followed, eventually getting reduced to a fringe figure.

The 29-year-old spent the last season on loan at Serie A club Lecce, and he played a key role in the Italian club avoiding relegation.

The loan move served as a breath of fresh air for Umititi, who gradually returned to the fore. His impressive performances also caught the attention of Italian giants Inter Milan and AS Roma.

Despite the rumours linking him with a return to Lyon, Umtiti has chosen Lille as his next destination.

The former Les Gones star will be Lille’s third signing of the summer after Tiago Santos and Hakon Arnar Haraldsson.

Umtiti will be a much-needed addition to Lille’s defence, which has already lost Jose Fonte and Tiago Djalo is yet to recover from the ACL injury he sustained in March.

17-year-old Leny Yoro, who made his breakthrough with the first team with sporadic appearances last season, is in line for a more prominent role next season.

Paulo Fonseca’s side finished fifth in Ligue 1 last season – meaning they will play in Conference League Qualifiers – and will look to mount a title challenge as they successfully did in the 2020/21 season.

Lille have also lost Timothy Weah to Juventus this summer, and Jonathan David could be next in line amid interest from top European clubs.