Tortured by knee injuries, Team News: 31-year-old Umtiti is considering whether to continue playing football or retire

According to French media "February", Umtiti, who is currently a free agent, has recovered from a left knee injury, but if he fails to find a new partner before September 10, the player may completely end his career.

After upgrading to his father in February this year, Umtiti has now reached a crossroads in his life, and he wants to choose to continue playing football or retire. Everyone around the players was glad he was also receiving a contract offer, especially seeing him no longer suffering from the long-standing knee pain.

Umtiti's left knee brought him endless pain during the 2018 World Cup, but with his strong spiritual strength, he gritted his teeth and persevered during the game. It was all worth it, and he eventually won the World Cup. However, after sacrificing his knee for the national team, Umtiti has been paying the price for this in his future career.

Although he regained some of his playing form when he was loaned to Serie A newly promoted Lecce in the 2022-2023 season, he only showed 60% of his physical ability. Umtiti had to undergo surgery for the first time on February 14, 2024 because of a rare congenital flexion deformity that causes permanent flexion and limitations in the knee.

Despite the success of the first operation, Umtiti's knee did not fully return to normal. In August of the same year, he had his second surgery and has never returned to the court since. Umtiti's most recent appearance was in the 1/16 final of the French Cup on January 21, 2024. Is this the last game of his career? At the moment, this possibility is increasing, but has not been determined.

People close to the players revealed that Umtiti has recovered from health, his left knee has returned to normal, and he no longer feels pain. He trained with his personal trainer in Barcelona all summer, confirming his knees through repeated tests and enjoying this recovery process. However, it is still a question whether there is enough psychological strength to try to make a comeback after experiencing such setbacks.

Currently on Umtiti's table are invitations from clubs from France, Italy, the Middle East and the United States. Although there are no invitations from Spain and England, he dreams of achieving his goals in life in the United States. And that doesn't necessarily mean he's going to keep playing football. Umtiti will return from vacation in Greece on Tuesday, and he decided to give himself a few more days to think and then announce his decision by September 10.