LENS, France (AP) — Lens signed former France winger Florian Thauvin from Italian side Udinese on a three-year contract on Friday.
The 32-year-old Thauvin captained Udinese in Serie A last season, scoring eight league goals, and he was under contract for another year.
Lens did not give financial details but French sports daily L'Équipe said the club paid 6 million euros ($7 million). Thauvin returns to Ligue 1 after playing the best soccer of his career for Marseille.
During a prolific spell playing alongside the mercurial Dimitri Payet, he scored 57 league goals across three seasons and coach Didier Deschamps called him up to the national side.
Thauvin was a squad member when France won the 2018 World Cup, and made the last of 10 appearances for Les Bleus the following year.
After leaving Marseille, he joined Mexican side Tigres but the move did not work out and he went to Udinese in January 2023. Overall, he scored 15 goals in 73 games for the club.
Thauvin also played for Bastia early in his career.
He made headlines when, after signing for Lille in January 2013 and being sent back on loan to Bastia for the rest of the season, he then pushed for a move to Marseille instead that summer. The move went through without Thauvin playing a single game for Lille, making him vastly unpopular with the club's fans.
Thauvin also had an unsuccessful spell with Newcastle in the Premier League from 2015-16, before being loaned to Marseille and then rejoining the club permanently.
Lens opens its Ligue 1 campaign at home to Lyon on Aug. 16 and hosts Lille on Sept. 21.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Udinese's Florian Thauvin celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Udinese at the Rome's Olympic stadium, Italy, Monday, March 10, 2025. (Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP, file)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Shaedon Sharpe scored 24 points and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame high-scoring Deni Avdija's absence to beat the Atlanta Hawks 117-101 on Thursday night.
Avdija missed second straight game because of lower-back soreness He’s averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
Portland took an 88-87 lead into the fourth quarter and pulled away. The Trail Blazers had lost two straight after winning five a row.
Jerami Grant added 16 points and Rayan Rupert had 13. Jrue Holiday scored 12 points in his third game back after missing 27 because of a right calf injury.
Onyeka Okongwu led Atlanta with 26 points. The Hawks were 1-3 on a four-game trip. They have lost nine in a row in Portland since Feb. 13, 2017.
CJ McCollum added 20 points in his third game with the Hawks since coming over from Washington in the trade that sent Trae Young to the Wizards. McCollum played his first 8 1/2 seasons with Portland.
Atlanta's Kristaps Porzingis missed his fourth straight game because of an Achilles problem.
Hawks: Host Boston on Saturday night.
Trail Blazers: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Quin Snyder looks to the referees during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Molly J. Smith)
Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) reaches out to block a basket from Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Molly J. Smith)
Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) dribbles past Portland Trail Blazers guard Caleb Love (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Molly J. Smith)
Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) shoots a basket over Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Molly J. Smith)
Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) blocks a basket from Atlanta Hawks forward/center Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Molly J. Smith)
