Chelsea are holding out for a fee of £6.5 million for the transfer of Olivier Giroud, who has reportedly agreed personal terms with Inter Milan.
According to Daily Mail, Inter Milan have moved one step closer to the capture of Olivier Giroud. They have agreed personal terms with the Chelsea forward, whose contract at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of the season. However, the Italian club is facing problems agreeing a transfer fee.
It is believed that Antonio Conte’s side is willing to fork out £4.5 million for Giroud in this January transfer window. But, Chelsea are holding out for a fee of £6.5 million, which is apparently causing a lot of confusion and it remains to be seen whether or not Inter would be willing to match their asking fee.
As far as Chelsea is concerned, this seems like a rather shrewd stance, especially given the fact that Giroud hasn’t played a key role under Frank Lampard. He has featured in only five Premier League matches, only two of which were starts. In total, he has mustered only 282 minutes of football in all competitions, which is clearly unacceptable for a player of his calibre.
At the same time, however, it is understandable given the rapid rise of Tammy Abraham. The youngster, playing in his first-ever Premier League campaign, has already 13 goals in just 21 matches. As a result, both Michy Batshuayi and Giroud have failed to make themselves regular fixtures in the starting eleven.
And with that in mind, it would perhaps be wiser for Chelsea to get rid of Giroud as soon as possible and take him off the wage charts. His departure could allow the Blues to invest in a new attacker, who can provide additional competition for Abraham while adding more strength to the attacking unit.
The Blues have been linked with a move for RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner in recent weeks. The German international would be a valuable signing for Lampard, thanks to his vast experience at the highest level of football, coupled with the fact that he is a prolific goalscorer.
Coming back to Giroud, a move to Inter Milan does make sense for the Frenchman for a number of reasons. He could reunite with former boss Antonio Conte while he can be considered as the primary backup for the offensive duo of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, thus boosting his chances of getting more first-team opportunities.
Therefore, Chelsea lowering their asking fee for Giroud could potentially benefit all parties involved, though a lot will depend on whether or not the Premier League club manages to sign a new forward this January.
