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Olivier Giroud would make LAFC "clear favorite" in Western Conference

If reports are true, legendary French striker Olivier Giroud will join Hugo Lloris at LAFC this summer once his AC Milan contract expires.

So, how many goals will Les Blues' all-time leading scorer get when playing alongside Dénis Bouanga?

On _This is MLS_, analyst Sacha Kljestan predicted "one goal every two games." Matt Doyle chose "somewhere between seven and 10 goals" – mindful of how Giroud reportedly will arrive in mid-July after Euro 2024.

But that might not be the best measuring stick, according to Calen Carr.

"The better metric will actually be with trophies," Carr said. "This pushes them back up to looking at being a title contender and going back to MLS Cup and potentially winning it. That's the difference we saw in the past when they made those summer signings and John Thorrington brought in Gareth Bale and [Giorgio] Chiellini."

And a reported signing of this caliber pushes LAFC into another tier in the Western Conference, according to Carr.

"They're getting signings other teams are not able to get and it's because of Los Angeles and it's because of the profile of the players they've had in the past. Then it starts to build on top of that," Carr said.

"The idea that he could come into this team at the back half, the way the \[Seattle\] Sounders, who are the other big competitor, have started the season, makes LAFC the clear favorite."