LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 05: Olivier Giroud of Chelsea celebrates after scoring their team's first goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Leeds United at Stamford Bridge on December 05, 2020 in London, England. A limited number of fans are welcomed back to stadiums to watch elite football across England. This was following easing of restrictions on spectators in tiers one and two areas only. (Photo by Daniel Leal-Olivas - Pool/Getty Images)
According to Football.london, Real Madrid have considered a move for Olivier Giroud as a part of their striker shortlist. Los Blancos recently let go of Luka Jovic on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt which has left them with fewer options in attack. Along with Giroud, Sergio Aguero and Arkadiusz Milik have made their shortlist for adding another forward.
Real Madrid are in one of their most difficult and transitional periods in recent history. It was only due to the sheer grit and determination of the side that they won the La Liga last season.
They didn’t start this season well but have performed better in recent games. However, it is rather apparent that they need a prolific goalscorer to ease some of the burden on Karim Benzema’s ageing legs.
The Eden Hazard experiment is yet to produce results as the Belgian has suffered from various injuries and fitness issues ever since joining the club for £130m in 2019. So far, he has been able to play just 30 games for the club scoring thrice and assisting another 7. He has missed 44 games for the Blancos to date.
Setting aside his remarkable statistics elsewhere, Giroud proved to be a magnificent goal-scorer at Arsenal. He scored 105 goals in his five and a half seasons with the Gunners, averaging a goal every 153 minutes.
The striker was also crucial in the 3 FA Cups and 3 Community Shields that Arsenal won while he was a player. He also scored 10+ goals in all of the 5 full seasons he spent at the club. There is no doubting his pedigree.
He has over 100 caps for the French national team, with whom he won the World Cup in 2018. Apart from that, he has been crucial for Chelsea despite being a substitute most of the time.
The Frenchman has contributed to the cause with some important goals ever since he made the switch from Arsenal. Nine of his 37 goals for the Blues have come in the 2020/21 term. His 4 goals for Chelsea against Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League in December show that he can still perform at the very top level despite being 34 years old.
Truth be told, Real Madrid could use that type of goal injection this season. Giroud has proved that age is just a number in football. With Giroud not getting enough minutes at Chelsea and Real in dire need of goals, this looks like a good match, even if it’s on a short-term basis.