Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud is reportedly eyeing a January exit from Stamford amid growing concerns over a lack of playing time.
According to a report by The Sun, Olivier Giroud is considering his Chelsea future owing to a lack of game time. The French striker could take the decision to call it quits at Stamford Bridge, amid interest from Inter Milan over a possible move in the January transfer window.
Giroud joined Chelsea in January 2017 following a fruitful five-and-a-half-year spell with Arsenal. But, despite spending nearly two years at Stamford Bridge, the player has never quite managed to nail down his place as a regular for the Blues, with the likes of Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain and Tammy Abraham being favoured over at different junctures.
Abraham is currently the first-choice striker for Chelsea, with even Michy Batshuayi usurping Giroud lately, leaving the Frenchman to be third in the pecking order. As a result, Giroud has voiced his discontent a few times in recent weeks, with his latest comments iterating that he will take stock of his situation in January.
A similar situation saw Giroud being linked with a possible summer exit from Chelsea, with the star striker even talking up a possible return to France. But, a summer move never came to be, thanks in large part due to the Blues’s two-window transfer ban.
Instead, Giroud ended up signing an extension with the Premier League heavyweights in May, pledging a further year to the West Londoners. However, having managed to start just twice so far this term, concerns over his playing time have been mounting. And, Giroud could have options in Inter Milan and Vancouver Whitecaps in January.
A move to Inter Milan, however, is unlikely to improve things much for Giroud, with Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez going strong for the Nerazzurri. But, with Alexis Sanchez being sidelined for three months, Antonio Conte does not have much in way of backup options. Giroud, though, might again end up being a bit-part player at San Siro once again.
Vancouver Whitecaps might offer him a regular role, although it remains to be seen if he is ready to make a switch to the MLS at present. Nevertheless, if things reach a head ahead of the January transfer window, a move away from Chelsea could be on the cards.
For now, Giroud is ready to fight for his place in the Chelsea first-team setup, although with Tammy Abraham going from strength to strength, it will be interesting to see if regular game time comes his way. If not, we could see Giroud leaving the West London club in the January window.
