World Cup-winning French striker Olivier Giroud is signing with Los Angeles FC.
LAFC formally announced the long-anticipated move on Tuesday for the 37-year-old Giroud, who leaves Europe after 18 years in the top professional leagues in France, England and Italy. Giroud confirmed on Monday that he would leave Milan for an MLS club this summer.
LAFC’s general manager, John Thorrington, said the club has been eager to add Giroud since last year, and they attempted to land his services in the January transfer window. The 2022 MLS Cup champions and 2023 runners-up then decided to wait for Giroud to become available this summer, rather than signing another Designated Player for the current season.
“The way he fits really complements our attacking group,” Thorrington said. “We do have some incredible attackers already here, but I think he will elevate us – not just with his own productivity, but I think what you see with his ability is he’s not just a pure goalscorer. He is very good at facilitating play, and that’s what we saw, which is so compelling.”
Giroud will join LAFC on a free transfer with a contract that will run through 2025 with an option to extend his stay for another year.
Giroud is best known for his six prolific seasons at Arsenal from 2012-18, followed by three years apiece at Chelsea and Milan. He has scored 285 goals in 716 matches during his club career while winning a wealth of trophies, including the Champions League with Chelsea three years ago. His 57 goals for France are the most in team history and he won the World Cup with his country in 2018. He is expected to play again for France at this year’s European Championship, which begins next month.
It’s unclear exactly when Giroud will debut for LAFC, given his international commitments and the need to pace his recovery after a full season at Milan. Defender Giorgio Chiellini didn’t make his LAFC debut until mid-July after signing with the club in May 2022 after a full season at Juventus.
Giroud has two more matches to play for Milan before the end of the Serie A season. He is now fourth in Serie A with 14 goals, and is among the league’s top overall playmakers as well.
“His productivity is incredible,” Thorrington said. “We’ve never had just a pure goalscorer. That’s not the way we play. I think his combination of skill sets, with his ability to link play, his ability to finish, his tactical mentality, we think he’ll be an incredible addition.”
LAFC are fifth in the Western Conference, and manager Steve Cherundolo’s team have not struggled to score this season. The club’s 22 goals in league play are more than every MLS team except Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and crosstown rivals LA Galaxy.
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Giroud will be reunited at LAFC with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, his longtime teammate for France. Lloris left Tottenham to sign with LAFC before this season.
“I think it helps that we have one of his best friends in football in Hugo as our goalkeeper,” Thorrington said. “I don’t think he’s coming just because of that, but I think that did enable conversations at a different level than I could have with him. What’s it like to play there? What’s it like for your family? That helped Olivier make the decision.”
Giroud’s success with France and some of Europe’s best teams have made him an international star. But Thorrington said that’s not the primary motivation for the move by LAFC, who also signed Gareth Bale for a brief, trophy-winning stint in 2022.
“We are a star town, and we’ve never shied away from [the fact] that matters in LA,” Thorrington said. “But we don’t ever invest because of just that. It needs to be the right combination, but certainly when our owners met with Olivier and you can see his hunger to win, it’s very clear that he’s coming here to help bring this club to the success that everybody wants.”
