Giroud excited to follow Pogba back to France after confirming Lille switch
France's all-time leading goalscorer Olivier Giroud will return to Ligue 1 after a 13-year absence, having agreed to join Lille.
Olivier Giroud is excited by the prospect of coming up against former France team-mate Paul Pogba in Ligue 1, having agreed to join Lille as a free agent.
It was confirmed on Friday that Giroud would leave Los Angeles FC by mutual consent after a single year with the MLS club.
He only scored five goals in 38 games for LAFC across all competitions, underperforming his total of 6.97 expected goals (xG), though he did help the side win their first U.S. Open Cup crown and reach the Western Conference semifinals.
Giroud's final game for the club was a 1-0 home defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday, and the 38-year-old, who is France's all-time leading goalscorer, confirmed afterwards that he is set for a move to Lille.
Lille finished fifth in Ligue 1 last season, narrowly missing out on a place in the Champions League, though they have now finished in the top five in three successive campaigns.
Giroud is relishing the chance to return to the Europa League, which he won with Chelsea in 2018-19, as well as the opportunity for a reunion with fellow 2018 World Cup winner Pogba, who joined Monaco on Saturday.
"I think French fans are happy that Paul Pogba and I are returning to Ligue 1. A few years ago, I would've told you coming back wasn't part of my plans," Giroud said.
"I wish I had made more of an impact in MLS, but it was a great experience. Now, I'm ready for a new challenge.
"LOSC ticked a lot of boxes for me and my family. I want to be a leader on and off the pitch, a link between the youngsters and the staff, and playing in the Europa League is exciting."
Giroud last appeared in the French top flight in 2011-12, when he helped Montpellier to a surprise title win with 21 goals in 37 matches.
That remains Giroud's most prolific campaign in one of Europe's top five leagues.
He netted 15 times for AC Milan in Serie A in 2023-24, also netting 13 times for the Rossoneri in 2022-23 and 11 in 2021-22.
Giroud failed to hit double figures in the Premier League in any of his four seasons with Chelsea, though he did so in each of his five full campaigns with Arsenal (11 in 2012-13, 16 in 2013-14, 14 in 2014-15, 16 in 2015-16 and 12 in 2016-17).
