We would possibly be liable to pay less than the remainder of his contract as we can cite that he is below the required level due to not having surgery- against the clubs wishes.
How do we know that?
This is a popular assumption, but it isn't a medical fact. It might be the opposite for what we know.
The last 3 players whom dealt with Cugat (who we were connected to) went for surgery again with other surgeons, I wonder how people are confident that surgery would have saved Umtiti, when every other doctor he went outside the club recommended conservative treatment?
And even if true, he didn't do it to preserve cartilage for his long term health, we have no right to force him to undergo a certain medical surgery for our own interest.
Such case will be lost quicker than our CL hopes in modern era.
I like Umtiti, but this seems to be the only business where you can be below the required level, get overpaid and not have any consequence.
NBA says hello.