Olivier Giroud set to leave Europe with shocking MLS transfer

Olivier Giroud is still playing for AC Milan, but his contract expires at the end of the season. According to The Athletic, the Frenchman could well be heading for the MLS.

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Giroud is said to be in talks with Los Angeles FC about a potential move, but both parties have yet to agree terms, with the striker also having other options. Let's take a look at Giroud's impressive career so far.

On December 4, 2022, Olivier Giroud broke the record set by Thierry Henry in 1998 and scored his 52nd goal for the French national team in a match against Poland during the Qatar World Cup, as reported by the Associated Press at the time.

Overall, the French footballer has continued to score and has become an ever-growing legend in the history of his country's football.

Olivier Giroud was born in 1986 and had his professional start at the Grenoble Foot 38, as specialist football website Transfermarkt details his career path. At the same time, he also studied sports sciences at Joseph Fourier University in case his football career failed to take off.

Giroud spent the 2007-2008 season on loan at Istres, finally breaking into the third division of France's professional football league.

From 2008 to 2010, he spent time on loan at Tours FC, getting the attention of several Ligue 1 clubs.

Giroud, a tall striker with a skilful header and capable to score all sorts of different types of goals, quickly stood out for his unusual profile among other players.

The striker signed with Montpellier in 2010, finally getting into France's top football league. That same year, he was drafted to play for the country's national team by coach Laurent Blanc.

Montpellier won the Ligue 1 in 2012 for the first time in its history, in no small part thanks to Olivier Giroud, who was the championship's top scorer with 21 goals, according to stats by Transfermarkt.

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The French footballer soon caught the eye of teams outside France, finally being transferred to Arsenal that year. In five and a half seasons for the Gunners, Giroud scored 105 goals and won the FA Cup and Community Shield three times (Transfermarkt).

The center-forward gained notoriety for his participation with Les Bleus in the Brazil 2014 World Cup, and became one of the national team's forefront players during the 2016 Euros.

However, during this time he developed something of a rivalry with fellow teammate Karim Benzema, as both were competing to be France's main striker for the 2014 World Cup, as Bleacher Report wrote just before the tournament.

In 2017, as reported by Eurosport, Giroud received the FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year: his famous 'scorpion kick' in a match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

According to the British newspaper The Independent, Arséne Wenger described it as one of the five best goals during his time as Arsenal's manager.

Giroud was also part of the French national team during the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Some made fun of the fact that he scored no goals that time, but his individual talent for the service of the team was undeniable.

Around the same time, the former Montpellier player was transferred from Arsenal to Chelsea. During his time with The Blues, he won the Europa League in 2019 and the Champions League in 2021, according to Transfermarkt.

In 2021, 34-year-old Giroud was transferred to AC Milan, where he is still playing at the moment.

Despite the criticisms he has suffered throughout his career, Giroud has proven he'll give a great performance, whether it's at club level or on the world stage.

Many doubted that Giroud would be part of the French national team at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. However, manager Didier Deschamps called in to cover Benzema's place after the Real Madrid player suffered an injury.

Deschamps's decision apparently paid off, with France becoming runner-up in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. One thing is certain: Giroud has already earned his place in the pantheon of French football legends.

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