Latest reports from The Sun conveys that Olivier Giroud could leave Chelsea in the upcoming winter transfer window with French club Marseille interested in his services. The World Cup winner joined the Blues from Arsenal last January only, and the 32-year-old’s contract expires next summer. It is believed that the French club are initially looking to get him on a six-month loan deal before securing a permanent deal when the Frenchman’s contract expires in the summer.
Maurizio Sarri this season has been under a predicament on which striker he should start. Many consider Alvaro Morata and Olivier Groud as not being good enough for winning the Premier League. However, the Blues are still going strong and are unbeaten so far in the league. However, there is a definite shortcoming with the striking options at the club.
Giroud is a perfect traditional target man, and even though he didn’t score any goals for France in the World Cup, he played a significant role. However, Sarri has often gone in with Alvaro Morata upfront, and that is mainly because the Spaniard is a bit more mobile and quick with his movements.
The Blues often play with high intensity when they have the ball and a lot of players keep on changing and swapping their positions. That is why someone like Giroud has played second fiddle even though just based on performance; one can say the Frenchman deserves to start.
Morata has found a bit of form of late and it is likely that Sarri would prefer him in big games. Selling Giroud in January might mean that the Pensioners might go after a new striker in January and it is something the club faithful won’t mind as a striker is a definite need for the West London club.
Giroud has often faced criticism throughout his career even though his numbers are decent. This is more so because he has often played his games as a substitute whether at Arsenal or Chelsea. The ex Montpellier forward has the experience of playing in 202 games in the Premier League, and he has come up with 76 goals. To go with that, the striker has 32 assists to his name, and his link-up play is one of the underrated aspects of the game.
However, with age not being in his side one can understand why the Blues are looking to move him on instead of someone like Morata who can take his game up if he continues to work hard. With Giroud moving away, expect a transfer move for a new striker coming in at Stamford Bridge if you are a Chelsea fan.
