Official: Florian Thauvin signs pre-contract agreement with Tigres

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 16:09 BST
• 2 min read

Florian Thauvin, formerly of Newcastle but presently with Marseille, has agreed to join Mexican outfit Tigres when his deal expires with the Ligue 1 club.

Milan had previously expressed an interest in the 28-year-old Thauvin, but no deal was completed.

There was also a suggestion that the 10-time capped France international might re-sign at Marseille, which had looked a distant prospect previously.

Instead, though, his future lies in Liga MX, where he will join up with former OM team-mate Andre-Pierre Gignac, who has enjoyed tremendous success on the other side of the Atlantic.

What can Tigres expect of Thauvin?

Thauvin is an attacking midfield player, who typically plays in a wide role. The arrival of Jorge Sampaoli at Stade Velodrome, however, has seen him used more centrally in recent times, while there was even an ill-fated attempt to deploy him as a wing-back.

His strengths are offensive. He excels particularly in dribbling, while he is also adept at creating chances in the final third of the pitch with subtle passes.

Thauvin, who was a member of France’s World Cup winning squad in 2018, has been a key player over the duration of his last five years with Marseille, which is his second spell at the club.

Thauvin’s second spell at Marseille in numbers

Indeed, he hit 15, 26 and 18 goals in successive campaigns before his momentum was checked in 2019/20 due to a serious ankle injury that ruled him out for much of the season.

Thauvin has not hit top form this time around, but given Marseille’s comparative struggles and his fight to regain fitness, this should not come as too much of a surprise.

Nevertheless, eight goals in 33 Ligue 1 matches represents a decent return in the circumstances.

Tigres, then, can be excited about the acquisition of Thauvin, who will join them on 1 July, when his deal with Marseille officially concludes.