Chelsea star Olivier Giroud has popped up on the radar of Inter Miami, while Manchester United outcast Marcos Rojo could be on his way to Fenerbahce in January.
As reported by the Mirror, David Beckham-owned Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami has registered an interest in the signing of Chelsea centre-forward Olivier Giroud ahead of the January transfer window.
34-year-old Giroud has been with the Blues since 2018 and has been an important squad player, even though he has never quite been able to establish himself as the first-choice striker at Stamford Bridge. Till date, the Frenchman has featured 95 times for the west London giants, bagging 29 goals and 14 assists.
Giroud played an important part in Chelsea finishing the top four last season, prompting the club to hand him a one-year extension. However, with Timo Werner arriving at the club in the summer and Tammy Abraham finding his form back, the veteran has slipped down the pecking order and is looking for a move away in January ahead of the Euros.
While he may not be playing regularly at Chelsea, Giroud was very impressive for the French national team during the recent international break. And this has ensured that there are suitors for the veteran striker in the market ahead of January, with West Ham United, Inter Milan keeping a close eye. And now, Inter Miami have also joined in.
The new entrants into the MLS, owned by former Manchester United superstar David Beckham, have struggled in their maiden season and are seeking to add more firepower to their attacking unit, which also features Giroud’s former Chelsea teammate Gonzalo Higuain.
Giroud has played just seven times across all competitions this season, managing a solitary goal. With him seeking regular game time, a move away in January makes complete sense, while offloading him would allow Chelsea to make some revenue rather than losing him for nothing when his contract in the summer.
It remains to be seen if the 34-year-old ends up moving to the USA to link up with the ex-Manchester United winger’s franchise in the winter transfer window.
Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo a January target for Fenerbahce
Speaking of Manchester United, there could be some transfer activity happening at Old Trafford in January as well, as out of favour star Marcos Rojo has emerged as a target for Fenerbahce.
Indeed, a report from Fotomac claims that the Turkish giants have been chasing the Argentine international for a long time now and could end up making a move for him once the transfer window opens for business in over a month.
Rojo has been with Manchester United since 2014, having arrived in the Louis van Gaal era. However, injuries and the lack of consistency meant that the 30-year-old could never quite become a regular in the Red Devils’ first-team. Despite being for over six years at the club, Rojo has featured just 122 times so far, scoring two goals and setting up four more.
The 30-year-old hasn’t been seen in Manchester United colours since November last year. Rojo spent the second half of the last season on loan at Estudiantes and has been injured for the most part in the new campaign, managing to play just 45 minutes for the reserves in the Premier League 2.
It is abundantly clear that Rojo is not part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans at Old Trafford. And a move in the January transfer window would serve both the parties well. And, as per the report, Fenerbahce are ready to offer an escape route to the 30-year-old in the winter.
It is claimed that Rojo is also keen on moving to the Turkish giants. Manchester United aren’t expected to stand in the way of a transfer, provided their demand of €5 million is met. However, Fenerbahce are expected to negotiate with the Red Devils to try and bring that transfer fee down.
