14/10/2023 Upd. at 13:25 CEST The defender lost his way at Barca in his final years in Catalonia

Samuel Umtiti hopes to be back on the pitch soon after the concussion he suffered playing for Lille. The defender says he feels very much at home in his new team and explained the reasons that led him to sign for this club, ruling out other more lucrative leagues.

"After what I experienced in the last four years, I couldn't afford not to respect football and go to Saudi Arabia," he told Le Quotidien du sport. "That's why I came back to France to continue working and to keep making progress."

More surprising were his statements on what the future may hold for him: "At Lecce they believed in me and I re-discovered my feelings. I had a good season because they trusted me and I came to France to expose myself.

"I wanted a club that played in Europe, to work and get back to my best level. I would love to relive moments with the French national team, but first things have to happen."

Umtiti made it clear that his priority was to return to Olympique Lyon, but it didn't happen. "When I left Lyon, I had the city in my heart. I would have loved to return.

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"There were contacts but in the end, I went to the club that wanted me and I am very happy. I should have gone back to Lyon one day, but now I'm here and working to the maximum."

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