Marseille president expresses joy and relief at the successful conclusion of the long negotiation with Lille over the transfer of Florian Thauvin. Thauvin underwent a medical examination and officially signed a five-year contract with Marseille, with the estimated transfer fee being 12 million euros. The negotiation process had seen OM make an initial offer of 8 million euros, while Lille sought 15 million.
Born on January 26, 1993, in Orléans, Thauvin began his football journey at FCM d’Ingré. His professional debut with Grenoble Foot 38 in Ligue 2 during the 2010-2011 season marked the start of his career. Thauvin’s trajectory also included playing for Bastia, where he showed versatility by playing in various offensive positions.
On January 29, 2013, Thauvin signed a 4-year contract with Lille OSC for 3.5 million euros. He was loaned to his former club Bastia to finish the season before officially joining Lille in the summer of 2013.
Frédéric Née, Thauvin’s former coach in the Bastia reserve team, praised him for his capabilities to play in multiple offensive positions, use both feet effectively, and demonstrate good technical skills and shooting ability.
Thauvin faced challenges early in his career, including back pain and a stress fracture diagnosis that raised concerns about his future in football.
The Marseille club also secured the recruitment of Lorient player Mario Lemina, while the coach of the Breton club, Christian Gourcuff, expressed frustration over the transfer.
