Crystal Palace and Inter Milan are appearing reluctant to meet Olivier Giroud’s wage demands, despite the Frenchman being keen to leave Stamford Bridge.
According to Express, Olivier Giroud’s extravagant wage demands are simply proving too much for interested parties including Crystal Palace. The Chelsea forward is believed to be keen on leaving Stamford Bridge in January after finding it difficult to get regular game-time under new manager Frank Lampard.
Giroud’s current contract at Chelsea expires at the end of the season. The Blues, unwilling to let him on a Bosman, are ready to offload the striker for a fee of just £5 million. However, it isn’t the club’s valuation that is causing problems.
It is believed that Giroud wants a two-year deal worth £7 million, which is pretty expensive for a player who has constantly been on the decline within the past couple of years. It is, therefore, no surprise to see Palace being reluctant to meet the player’s demands, even though they are in dire need of attacking reinforcements in January.
Primary forward Christian Benteke has struggled with form and injuries for the most part of his career at Palace. As a result, the Eagles have appeared overreliant on the services of Jordan Ayew as far as goalscoring is concerned. The forward has done well for the most part but the club must sign a more prominent centre-forward if they are to improve their potency in front of goal.
Giroud, to that end, would have been an ideal choice. The Frenchman has a wealth of experience in the English top-flight, having featured in 224 Premier League matches. His physical and aerial are an ideal combination for a Palace team that often relies on crosses. He can, thus, be used as a target-man.
Additionally, Giroud’s work-ethic and tactical positioning in the final third would have added another dimension to the Palace attack. But, at the same time, paying £7 million a season is quite unrealistic, especially given the fact that the Frenchman will not be able to provide any prospect for the future.
Truth be told, it is doubtful whether Giroud will be able to make an impact in the Premier League anymore. He is already 33 years old and had notably scored only two goals in the league last season. Hence, the Eagles should just shift their focus to other alternatives on the market. Wolfsberger AC’s Shon Weissman might not be a bad option.
