Florian Thauvin seals Ligue 1 return with Lens move

French World Cup winner Florian Thauvin has completed his return to Ligue 1 after signing for Lens from Serie A side Udinese, Sport360NG reports.

The 32-year-old attacking midfielder penned a deal running until 2028, with French media reporting a transfer fee of around €6 million (£5.1m). Lens sporting director Jean-Louis Leca hailed the arrival, describing it as “a source of great pride” to bring a world champion into the club’s project.

Several hundred supporters greeted Thauvin like a celebrity when he landed at Lille-Lesquin Airport on Tuesday evening. His arrival makes him the third member of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad to return to Ligue 1 this summer, following Paul Pogba’s move to Monaco and Olivier Giroud’s switch to Lille.

Lens, who finished eighth in the league last term, will hope Thauvin’s experience can help them push higher up the table.

Capped 10 times by France, Thauvin also represented his country at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. He began his professional career at Grenoble, made his Ligue 1 bow with Bastia, and enjoyed a long association with Marseille, punctuated by a stint at Newcastle United. After leaving the Velodrome, he spent 18 months in Mexico with Tigres before joining Udinese in January 2023.