French striker Olivier Giroud is coming to MLS. According to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert, Giroud is nearing an agreement with LAFC.
Giroud is expected to sign a Designated Player contract with LAFC and will join his new club once his campaign with France’s national team at UEFA Euro 2024 wraps up. The deal is expected to keep Giroud in Los Angeles through the 2025 season.
It was recently reported that Giroud, who will become a free agent in the summer after his contract with Seria A powerhouse AC Milan expires, has been in contact with a number of MLS clubs, including LA Galaxy. However, LAFC always had the upper hand in the negotiations, considering they had the player’s discovery rights and were able to sign him without any hold-ups.
Giroud has scored 14 goals and added nine assists in 36 matches for Milan in 2023-24, his third season with the club. He previously also played for Montpellier, Arsenal, and Chelsea among other clubs.
LAFC has been on a great run in recent two seasons, making back-to-back MLS Cup Finals appearances and winning a title in 2022. The club made a number of moves this offseason to keep that run going including signing forward Denis Bouanga to a long-term extension and bringing in veteran goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. They are currently sixth in the Western Conference with seven points from the first five games of the 2024 season.
