LENS, France — 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

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