French striker set for Chelsea exit as Inter make improved bid.
Olivier Giroud‘s time at Chelsea is close to coming to an end as reports indicate that it is only a matter of time until his move to Inter Milan becomes official.
According to The Guardian, Inter are hopeful that their bid of €5 million will be enough to entice Chelsea to let the striker go. Their latest bid is only €1 million more than their previous bid but they remain optimistic.
Giroud has had a tough time getting playing time with the London-based club. He was second choice under Maurizio Sarri and finds himself in the same situation with Frank Lampard. Sarri preferred Gonzalo Higuain and Lampard has put his faith in Tammy Abraham.
The decision by Lampard to go with the younger player in Tammy Abraham makes sense but one assumes that Sarri picking Higuain over Giroud had to be a blow to the Frenchman.
Yet, a move to Inter will not get Giroud what he wanted. At best, he will be third choice at Inter behind Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez.
Lukaku has found a resurgence since arriving from Manchester United. He’s scoring goals and leaving Manchester United supporters why they sold him in the first place. His partnership with Martinez has been one of the best in Europe and is one of the reasons why Inter find themselves fighting with Juventus for the top spot in Serie A.
The proposed deal would see Giroud be an Inter player until the end of the 2021-2022 season. Perhaps the thought process behind this move from Inter’s point of view is finding a short-term solution should they lose Martinez the summer.
The Argentine strikes has impressed this season and has been linked with a move to a bigger club like Barcelona.
Antonio Conte has worked with Giroud before when he was the manager at Chelsea. He may believe that Giroud still has something left in the tank and can be more than just squad depth.
Chelsea will have the final say but it’s no secret that Giroud wants out. They may just want to get some sort of transfer fee rather than letting him leave for free in the summer when his contract runs out.