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French World Cup champion Florian Thauvin made his return to Ligue 1 on Friday as Lens announced the signing of the 32-year-old attacking midfielder.
Lens sporting director Jean-Louis Leca expressed delight in welcoming Thauvin, stating, “We greet Florian with great pleasure and pride, as we see a world champion join our ranks.”
He further added that having a player of Thauvin's caliber and international stature join their team is a significant boost.
Reports in France indicate that Lens acquired Thauvin from Udinese for 6 million euros ($7 million), with the player committing to the club until 2028. Thauvin was celebrated by hundreds of Lens supporters on Tuesday night at Lille-Lesquin airport like a rock star.
This season, he becomes the third 2018 World Cup winner to rejoin Ligue 1, following Paul Pogba's move to Monaco and Olivier Giroud's signing with Lille. Lens had finished eighth in Ligue 1 last season.
Thauvin has earned 10 caps for France and featured three times for the national team during the 2021 Olympics.
He began his career at Grenoble, made his Ligue 1 debut with Bastia, and spent nearly ten years at Marseille, apart from two years at Newcastle where he primarily played on loan at the Velodrome before making a permanent switch.
Most recently, Thauvin played for a season and a half with Tigres in Mexico before joining Serie A team Udinese in January 2023.
