RC Lens has officially announced the arrival of Florian Thauvin in the Artesian outfit. The French international, transferred from Udinese for a fee of around €6 million, has signed a three-year contract with the Sang et Or.
Four years after leaving for Mexico, where he played for Tigres UANL before moving to Serie A, the French forward is returning to Ligue 1, where he particularly shone during his time at Olympique de Marseille.
Launched into the big time with Grenoble, the Orleans native also represented SC Bastia and Newcastle during his career. His two-month spell at Lille in the summer of 2013, for its part, didn’t result in any official appearances with Les Dogues.
A reinforcement eagerly awaited by Lens supporters, who turned out in force to welcome him on his arrival at Lille-Lesquin airport. Under Pierre Sage’s leadership, Thauvin will be the experienced figurehead of the Lens attack, already bolstered by the arrivals of Martin Satriano (Inter Milan) and Jeremy Agbonifo (Hacken).
With 15 goals and 10 assists in 73 appearances for Udinese, the winger is coming off two and a half successful seasons in Italy, despite a slow start.
“We welcome Florian (Thauvin) with immense pleasure and a certain pride, that of seeing a world champion join us. I think the incredible welcome he received from the people of Lens confirms this feeling,” said Jean-Louis Leca, Lens’ sporting director.
“With more than 250 Ligue 1 matches under his belt, Florian is a proven asset in our league. His ability to eliminate opponents, score from any position and make his teammates shine will be important for the team. His experience and role as captain at Udinese also make him a leader. Seeing a player of this quality and with this French international status join our project is very positive.”
“Florian was determined to come to Racing and I want to thank him for his confidence. Throughout his career, he has played in popular atmospheres and I am convinced that he will enjoy the warmth of Bollaert!”
After Olivier Giroud and Paul Pogba, Thauvin becomes the third 2018 World Cup champion to return to the French football elite this summer.
