According to a recent report by the Daily Express, Premier League outfit Chelsea are said to be on the verge of parting ways with French World Cup winning striker Olivier Giroud in January. It has been suggested in the report that the striker is frustrated with the way things have gone so far this term and that he will force a move away as early as January.
Chelsea’s French defender Kurt Zouma revealed that the striker is a professional who had been working hard in training but starting to get unhappy with his lack of playing time. He said that the former Montpellier man, like any other footballer, wants to be out on the pitch and that despite the intensity of the situation, has kept his cool. The report claims that the likes of Montpellier, Lyon, Inter Milan, Crystal Palace and Borussia Dortmund are all keen on a winter move for the 33-year-old.
What Has Giroud Achieved At Chelsea?
The Frenchman arrived from Arsenal a couple of years ago, as part of Antonio Conte’s half-hearted attempt at saving his second season in charge. The Blues were struggling in front of goal at the time, and the Italian tactician was looking for a different attacking alternative when he signed the striker. Since joining Chelsea, the veteran attacker has even gone on to win the FIFA World Cup with France.
He managed to pick up a European trophy in the form of the Europa League, ironically, by beating and scoring against former club Arsenal at the final in Baku. Although his time at the Emirates was much more eventful, Giroud’s 19 goals for Chelsea have all come at crucial times, and he even finished last campaign as the top scorer in the aforementioned competition.
What Is Giroud’s Current Situation At Stamford Bridge?
The striker has clearly fallen behind both Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi in Frank Lampard’s Chelsea pecking order, effectively eradicating any chance of first-team football that he might’ve received, even off the bench for that matter. The World Cup winner has played just four times in the league this campaign – three of those appearances were as a late substitute as well.
With everything that’s currently going on at Chelsea, Giroud staying beyond the winter seems highly unlikely. Let’s take a look at the two clubs where he would have the biggest impact:
Crystal Palace
The London club would provide the Frenchman with the smallest change in terms of atmosphere and surroundings, and the fact that they’ve been struggling to find an outlet for goal could come as another massive blessing. The striker’s physicality allows him to be a dominant figure in the opposition box – a style of play that would certainly suit Roy Hodgson’s smash and grab tactics as well.
Inter Milan
It was Antonio Conte, the current Inter manager, who acquired Giroud’s services at Chelsea at the start of 2018. A reunion is very much on the cards as the Italian looks for varied attacking options. Although Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku have done a reasonable job so far, the injury to Alexis Sanchez has hit them hard. With the Frenchman still a deadly striker on his day, a move to the more tactical and less intense Serie A does seem like a good fit, at least on paper.
