LAFC is starting their summer activities early, and they’re doing it in a big way.
On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that LAFC was finalizing a deal to sign France’s all-time leading scorer, Olivier Giroud. The accomplished striker leaves AC Milan as a free agent and will join the MLS club after Euro 2024 this summer.
At the twilight of his career, at 37, Giroud has aged magnificently. He is a key player for Milan, with 12 goals and eight assists in 1,843 league minutes this year. He also scored for France in a 3-2 win over Chile this week, and should be vital for the Blues as they hope to win a third European Championship.
To what extent will his arrival change the way the two-time reigning Western Conference champions play? And will his signing be enough to make LAFC a favorite to win the MLS Cup for the second time in three seasons?
How Giroud changes LAFC
It seems simplistic to tie a team’s ultimate destiny to a single position on the field, but one of the main differences between LAFC’s title in 2022 and its near-failure in 2023 concerns the striker.
LAFC became increasingly easier to contain as they were fully committed to operating in transition: hindering their ability to get the ball to Denis Bouanga in space, and they had no viable second option.
To say that Giroud helps remedy this predictability is an understatement. If we had to build the archetype of the center forward, it would be him. As willing to outplay a defender for a header as he is to make an unselfish pass to a rushing teammate. Capable of ugly finishes and scoring fodder in equal measure, and always a threat to score even if he doesn’t start – and all while being one of the finest in the sport.
Giroud has remained vital to AC Milan this season after turning 37 in September, with just three outfield players eclipsing his 1,843 minutes in Serie A on Tuesday. He doesn’t appear to be the focal point of an attack that has Rafael Leão to his left and Christian Pulisic to his right, but Giroud leads Milan in goals (12) and assists (8). He has been remarkably consistent throughout his three-year stay in Italy: an average xG per shot of 0.14 in each season, with a typical shot distance between 11.9 and 12.9 meters.
Tactically, Giroud will give the LAFC attack its best central presence since the departure of Cristian Arango after the 2022 season. He is not the type of attacker who runs upfield from wingers, and his creation of chances ( 1.85 per 90 this year) could help Bouanga remain dangerous in a less transitional state of play. He’s the type of player every MLS team would like to sign, but few manage to do so.
In some ways, this feels like the strategic reverse of when local rival LA Galaxy signed another member of Milan’s 2021-22 title squad, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in 2018. At the time, the Galaxy had attached their lot to the Swede as the centerpiece of an effort. to turn around a franchise in difficulty, by quickly building a list around him. Here, Giroud enters as the potential final piece for a perennial contender, as Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini were in the summer of 2022.
Projected XI
Although Steve Cherundolo seemed allergic to the idea of playing a natural center forward – taking some time to get used to Arango, spending 2023 with winger Carlos Vela playing as a false nine and now midfielder Mateusz Bogusz starting up top to start 2024 – he won. It’s not a choice with Giroud.
The good news? Giroud’s skillset naturally fills much of the link-up play that Cherundolo likes to have with a false nine while providing Arango’s elite finishing ability. Plus, he can’t really cover less ground than Vela.
The partnership between Giroud and Bouanga makes a lot of sense and it is easy to theorize how well they will complement each other. That probably leaves Bogusz on the bench for his strongest XI, unless Cherundolo prefers him to Timothy Tillman in midfield, which is doubtful.
LAFC has yet another DP spot to play with. Vela is still a free agent. Let’s see if anything else changes before the end of the summer transfer window.
Does this make LAFC favorites?
2024 is already shaping up to be a second consecutive lean year for the Western Conference. Last year’s top finisher, St. Louis City SC, is undefeated in five games but has just one win to date. The Seattle Sounders have been a shell of their former selves. The two best teams in the conference at this point, Minnesota United and LA Galaxy, missed the playoffs last year and could be candidates to move closer to a middle position.
All of this is to say that the West is very, very up for grabs (on paper) as April approaches. LAFC is 2-1-2 (7 points) so far, which places them sixth in the West but tied with third-place Vancouver in points. Eclipsing their total of 52 points last season should be achievable, and surpassing St. Louis’ 56 points in 2023 is not unrealistic given the talent available.
That said, Giroud’s late arrival puts a lot of pressure to rack up results on players who know their role will diminish once he moves to the United States. Mateusz Bogusz has started all five games and scored in the opener against Seattle, but he will operate knowing he is most likely to fall to the bench with Bouanga and Giroud certain to start and Cristian Olivera preferred on the right wing . That looming shadow could throw some players off track, but in such a forgiving conference, simply keeping pace with the lead pack should be enough for Giroud to have an outsized impact down the stretch.
Of course, rookies like Giroud, Bale or Hugo Lloris are not made for a 34-game season. Their big-game prowess will be counted on to keep LAFC from being as unique as they were in the 2023 playoffs, and they’ll be a fashionable favorite to not only win the West, but also to to be the biggest obstacle that Inter Miami will face. will face if they qualify for the MLS Cup East.
When will it arrive?
The first Giroud can be registered with LAFC on July 18, the opening date of the secondary transfer window. The earliest he could make his debut is July 20, when LAFC visits the Seattle Sounders.
This match in Seattle is LAFC’s last before the League Cup break. They will begin their group stage in this tournament on July 26 against Atlas, potentially Giroud’s home debut.
At most, Giroud will be available for 10 MLS regular season matches, the entire League Cup and the playoffs. However, the plan regarding the exact date of his arrival will likely not be finalized for some time.
Giroud will be with France at the European Championship this summer. This tournament takes place from June 14 to July 14. France are among the favorites, so he could realistically be with the team until the final on July 14.
Regardless of when France completes its participation in Euro 2024, Giroud could be in line for a short break afterwards. His season began last August with AC Milan and the 2024 MLS season doesn’t end until early December. Would it make sense for a 37-year-old Giroud to run for 18 consecutive months? We will see. Lionel Messi had a bit of a break before joining Inter Miami last summer, which is normal for European stars arriving in MLS, depending on when they finished their season. Giroud’s season may only end with less than a week before he can make his debut.
(Top photo by Christian Liewig – Corbis/Getty Images)