Chelsea and their search for a striker has lead them to rivals Arsenal, with the Blues now pondering over a January move for the unsettled Olivier Giroud.
According to The Mirror, Chelsea have had another shock candidate emerge in their search for a striker. Antonio Conte is reportedly looking at the possibility of bringing Olivier Giroud, who is unsettled at Arsenal, over to Stamford Bridge in a January deal.
Chelsea have been linked with a fair number of Premier League strikers in the January transfer window so far, with names like Peter Crouch, Andy Carroll and Ashley Barnes pointing to perhaps, a lack of ambition from the Chelsea board. But, their pursuit of Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud could turn out to be the solution.
Antonio Conte is reportedly looking to add a striker with aerial prowess a necessary part of his bag of skills. And no Premier League striker can perhaps, boast a more commanding tally of headed goals in the last few years than Olivier Giroud. And this could yet be a transfer that Chelsea may be able to get over the line.
Giroud has an appreciable record of 105 goals and 41 assists in 252 games for Arsenal. And while he has been the hero innumerable times for the Gunners, the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette has seen a marginalisation of his minutes, which are set to shrink further, if Arsenal do end up signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – a deal that is more likely to happen than not.
ONE IN, ONE OUT ↔️
Olivier Giroud will only be allowed to leave if Arsenal can sign a replacement, says Arsene Wenger: https://t.co/8CFzJleyKR pic.twitter.com/0DheNEDLox
— Sky Sports PL (@SkySportsPL) January 26, 2018
Olivier Giroud snubbed a move to Everton, one which reportedly was the main factor that ultimately led to the untimely departure of Ronald Koeman from Goodison. The main reason cited for Giroud’s snub was the fact that his wife was against the idea of leaving London, which will not be the case if the Arsenal man was to sign for Chelsea.
Apart from being a proven goalscorer, Giroud’s ability to be a part of the build-up is a skill that is very much revered and needed at Stamford Bridge.
There were rumours of the 31-year-old being offered to Dortmund in exchange for Aubameyang. But, it seems the negotiations have not gone well, with reports circulating that Arsenal and Dortmund are now back to negotiating a direct sale of just the Gabonese speedster.
At Chelsea, the need for a striker is paramount. For Giroud, there is also an urgent need to get regular game time under his belt, with the World Cup fast approaching. Arsenal will also be open to a deal to offload Giroud, should Aubameyang comes.
Chelsea fans can finally breathe a heavy sigh of relief, for the sole fact that their team seems to be slowly moving towards better options. And this one might just be one that ends up happening, albeit by the end of the transfer window.
