Olivier Giroud spent many North London derbies trying to score past Hugo Lloris - but the former Arsenal and Tottenham stars could now meet in the United States.
Major League Soccer (MLS) side Los Angeles FC are pushing hard to make France's all-time leading scorer their marquee summer signing, with the striker's contract at AC Milan expiring in June. Per The Athletic, LAFC have acquired Giroud's discovery rights, giving them priority ahead of their MLS rivals to land the 37-year-old's signature.
The club and player are locked in advanced talks over a move to BMO Stadium, where former Spurs and France captain Lloris is the No.1 goalkeeper. An agreement is not imminent, with Giroud open-minded to staying in Milan or exploring other opportunities in Europe or the Middle East if a deal cannot be struck with LAFC.
But the chance to experience MLS and the Los Angeles lifestyle at this stage of his career is sure to be appealing, and if the deal gets done, he would be deployed in one of the league's best attacks alongside reigning golden boot winner Denis Bouanga and Uruguay international Cristian Olivera.
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And according to Italian journalist Matteo Moretto, it is Giroud's dream to play in MLS before the end of his career, although offers from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia could be more lucrative.
Despite being in the twilight of his career, Giroud has been a major contributor for AC Milan this season, scoring 12 goals and racking up eight assists in 26 Serie A appearances. He also made a brief outing in goal for the Rossoneri in October, making a superb save following Mike Maignan's red card to secure a 1-0 win against Genoa.
Giroud rose to prominence with his talismanic role in Montpellier's shock Ligue 1 triumph in 2012, earning a move to Arsenal where he scored 105 goals in 253 appearances, winning the FA Cup three times.
Giroud will be reunited with former France teammate Hugo Lloris if he joins LAFC (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)He moved to Chelsea in 2017, scoring 39 times in 119 games, collecting FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League winner's medals.
He swapped Stamford Bridge for the San Siro in 2021 and has scored 46 times in 121 outings, playing a pivotal role in Milan's Serie A title win in 2022. Giroud has also enjoyed great success on the international stage, playing in two World Cup finals including the 2018 victory over Croatia.
LAFC have endured a tricky start to the MLS season, sitting 10th in the Western Conference with four points from four games ahead of Saturday's clash with Nashville SC.
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