Montpellier and Lorient denied Florian Thauvin’s phone calls as he looked for a club on his return from Mexico | OneFootball

In an interview with Ligue 1+, Florian Thauvin (33) has revealed how he struggled to find a club when he returned to France from Mexico. The French international attacker returned to his homeland as a free agent at the beginning of 2023 after his contract expired with Tigres UANL. 

The Frenchman played in Mexico for two years, making 38 appearances for Tigres across two seasons. However, his contract expired, he hoped of returning to France. When asked about returning to his home nation, Thauvin said, “I personally called Laurent Nicollin twice. I told him I would come for whatever salary they offered me. I called him again, and he didn’t reply, I called him a second time, he didn’t reply.” The former Marseille winger added, “At one point, it was me chasing Lorient, and they didn’t respond to me.”

After failing to find a club in Ligue 1 that was willing to sign him, Thauvin ended up moving to Udinese for two and a half seasons, where he made 73 appearances. As his time in Udine came to an end, he ultimatley got his wish of a return to France and has silenced his doubters. The attacking midfielder emerged as one of the most consistent players in the final third for Lens last season, scoring 14 goals and registering 10 assists, as they qualified for the UEFA Champions League and won the Coupe de France. 

GFFN | Liam Wraith