LAFC may have finally found the solution to their ongoing striker search with the signing of Olivier Giroud, who is joining the Black and Gold this summer.
Giroud reportedly put pen to paper on a deal with LAFC earlier this week, receiving an 18-month contract that ties him to Los Angeles through the 2025 Major League Soccer season, according to a transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The 37-year-old World Cup winner is expected to reunite with his former France teammate Hugo Lloris as both will bring plenty of experience to the 2022 MLS Cup winners over the next few seasons. While LAFC has been able to remain fairly consistent without a true center forward, the signing of Giroud will help the Black and Gold reach the MLS Cup final for a third consecutive year and truly unlock an attack with tremendous potential.
It’s no secret that LAFC is in the market for a new No. 9, and they will soon have one of the most legendary strikers of the last decade on their hands. Club legend Carlos Vela – who scored 147 goals in 188 appearances for LAFC and is currently a free agent – still did a good job last season with 14 goals across all competitions.
However, at 35, Vela was showing signs of decline and was always more of a winger than a striker, although he was useful up front alongside Denis Bouanga and Cristian Olivera. Another point worth noting is that Giroud still has an impressive 13 goals and eight assists in 30 appearances for Milan this season, although many think LAFC could take a step backwards with a striker older than the out-of-contract Vela .
Giroud’s addition also means that Mateusz Bogusz can return to his preferred midfield role and that head coach Steve Cherundolo does not have to rely on Bouanga to score the majority of the team’s goals. In 2023, Bouanga won the Golden Boot award with 20 goals scored in the regular season (or 37% of LAFC’s 54 goals in 2023), but with Vela’s nine goals now out of the picture, he is the second-highest scorer of the Teams fully supported Ryan Hollingshead with seven goals – which isn’t exactly ideal.
LAFC hasn’t exactly been short of players with winning experience, but Giroud fits right in with the team’s goals of regularly competing in finals and bringing home silver. Since their first season in MLS in 2018, the Western Conference team has won an MLS Cup, a Campeones Cup and two Supporters’ Shields – while also reaching two Concacaf Champions Cup finals.
Giroud not only scored many goals in his long career but also helped win numerous trophies. The former Chelsea and Arsenal player has won four FA Cups, a Europa League and a Champions League title, a Serie A title and of course the 2018 World Cup title with France. If Giroud’s winning mentality combines with players like Bouanga and Ilie Sanchez who are itching to win more trophies, it will only push LAFC to reach even more finals with their new goal at the helm.
Giroud is now the latest veteran to move from Europe to MLS, while the league has also prioritized young, emerging talent in recent years to create a unique combination of players on rosters. Players like Giroud, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Emil Forsberg, Gareth Bale and Lloris have all moved across the pond to get a taste of what MLS has to offer.