France and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is surplus to requirement at Stamford Bridge and this has alerted clubs like Crystal Palace, Milan Inter and Atletico Madrid to battle for the signature of the want-away striker.
Giroud will be out of contract next summer and will enter the final six months of his deal in January. This implies that the French striker will be free to discuss with other clubs about potentially joining on a free transfer.
The striker is desperate to seek out first-team football ahead of France’s Euro 2020 campaign after been warned by France coach Didier Deschamp that he might lose his spot if he continues to sit on the bench at Chelsea. This has made Giroud expressed his desire to leave Stamford Bridge in January.
According to The Mirror, Crystal Palace may make a move to keep the striker in the Premier League due to his League experience with Arsenal and Chelsea. The Eagles are favourites to land the 33-year-old as Chelsea are reportedly interested in bringing Wilfried Zaha from Selhurst Park to Stamford Bridge next month.
Atletico Madrid are also hoping to replace Spanish striker Diego Costa with Giroud in the January transfer window. According to Atleti, Costa is out of action until February due to injury, and Inter are keen to provide some backup to their lethal partnership of Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez.
However, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard on Friday said that he is not planning to discuss the striker’s future or any other players until the transfer window opens in January. The Chelsea boss said he has not discussed with Giroud about his future. As for Pedro and Willian, Lampard said he would have to discuss them with the club’s hierarchy before making a final decision on their futures.
He said: “No I have not spoken to Giroud.
“All the players that are here I won’t have any talk about January until we get to January. Everybody.
“I am happy for him (Giroud) to stay, as with every player in the squad I want them to be here for Chelsea, have the right professionalism and right desire to be here. He has shown me that in his training every day this season. That’s what I am happy with.
“I want players that want to be here and can perform well for us and they [Willian and Pedro] have done over well their careers here so that is simple from my point of view; I want good players here.”
