6 months into his Chelsea stint and Olivier Giroud may already be on his way out of the club. The towering French international is always pleasant in the eyes of the general masses but at times can be woeful to those who study the striker’s game.
Reports now suggest new Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri is preparing to cut short Giroud’s stay at West London as the former Napoli coach looks to clear the dressing room and free up space for a possible reunion with current Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain. Alvaro Morata might also be on his way out as Chelsea look to balance their books in order to accommodate Higuain’s wage demands.
Giroud, who was part of France’s World Cup-winning squad, had played a key role in Chelsea’s FA Cup triumph but struggled to make a significant impact in France’s run at securing a second World Cup victory.
Olivier Giroud is the ideal target man when leading the team from the front. He uses his tall stature to win the ball in the air and holds up play well. He is lethal at set pieces as he has the ability to fight off defenders and challenge for the ball. However, he has to improve his finishing when running at goal.
Morata hit the ground striding for Chelsea at the start of the 2017-2018 season but struggled to find the back of the net come the turn of the year. His lack of goals eventually led former manager Antonio Conte to lose patience in the striker’s abilities and subsequently turned their attention to Giroud when the transfer market reopened in January. The French international himself was struggling to find game time at the London club Arsenal and jumped at the idea to switch from North London to West London.
The Chelsea hierarchy succumbed to the wishes of Antonio Conte when they sealed the departure of Striker Diego Costa to Spain. Chelsea, since then, have failed to match the goal tally that Costa provided for them, which ultimately led to Chelsea handing over their Premier League crown to Manchester City without even putting up a fight.
In the present situation, however, Sarri and Chelsea should not think in a hurry at allowing Giroud to be priced out from the club as squad depth and experience go hand in hand at leading a team to be successful during long and tiring Title campaigns. Giroud’s contribution in a blue shirt will always be remembered by the Blue army but Chelsea need to be wise at their approach to the upcoming season and will likely base their decision using business ahead of emotion.
