Lille officially announced on Saturday the contract extension of Hamza Igamane, their 24-year-old Moroccan striker, until 2031. The northern club is backing a player who has been off the pitch for ten months because of a serious knee injury.
Ten months without playing, and a contract that keeps getting longer anyway. Lille officially announced on Saturday 7 November 2026 the extension of Hamza Igamane, their 24-year-old Moroccan international striker, according to Sport.fr. Already tied to the club until June 2030, the player has seen his deal extended by a season, until 2031.
The striker has not played for ten months, because of a serious knee injury. Rather than waiting for his return to the pitch, the club chose to extend its commitment to him.
Nine goals in six months
In his first six months in the north, Igamane had scored 9 goals in 18 appearances, across all competitions, according to Sport.fr.
Lille president Olivier Létang explained the choice as a gesture of trust towards a player hit by a long spell on the sidelines. “In a context that is always very difficult for a player who has suffered a serious injury and a long absence, it was important to us to show Hamza, through this contract extension, the immense trust we have in him,” he said, quoted by Sport.fr.
Lille also remain near the top of the Ligue 1 table this season.
A return only hoped for
This extension does not settle the question of the pitch. Igamane’s return to collective training is hoped for after the November international break, Sport.fr reports. A return to competitive action with Lille is envisaged in the medium term, with no date set.
The president added: “We do not doubt for a single moment that he will come back even stronger after this long period of convalescence. We will be cautious and attentive first and foremost to the player’s health and well-being of course, but we look forward with pleasure and impatience to the end of this ordeal.”