Chelsea's Olivier Giroud looks on in a game. (Getty Images)
According to the Daily Star, Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud is frustrated with his lack of playtime in the Premier League and the 32-year-old is eyeing a move away from Stamford Bridge in the summer, with some top club back in his native France touted as his next possible destination.
The former Arsenal man has struggled for regular minutes in the Premier League since the arrival of new manager Maurizio Sarri last summer and the acquisition of Gonzalo Higuain on loan in January has pushed him further down the pecking order at the club.
Giroud’s involvement has been limited to only 6 starts in the Premier League this term, with Sarri using the Frenchman as an impact player off the bench on 15 occasions.
The veteran has been in blistering form in the UEFA Europa League, accumulating 9 goals and 2 assists from 9 appearances, including a hat-trick in the Round of 16 victory over Dynamo Kyiv.
In all, Giroud has contributed with 10 goals and 7 assists from 34 appearances for the Blues in all competitions.
Well, it is quite evident that Sarri hasn’t shown much confidence in Giroud to play a significant role in the Premier League. However, he has proven his worth as a bona-fide goalscorer with his performances in the Europa League and the domestic cup competitions.
Chelsea have come under criticism numerous times this season for their lack of firepower up front but Giroud is not the only one to blame for Chelsea’s failure to unlock stubborn defences.
In fact, he has done what he does best and that is holding the ball up using his strength and linking up with the likes of Willian, Pedro and Eden Hazard to create chances.
Giroud is not the kind of striker who would score 20-30 goals in a season but he contributes a lot by dropping deep, holding the ball up to get others into the game and getting involved in the build-up play.
His strength and understanding of the game are invaluable assets to any team, leave alone Chelsea. The Frenchman is strong in the air, which makes him a potent threat from set-pieces, whilst his ability to move the ball quickly with short and clever passes in the final third helps others get themselves into scoring positions.
To put things into perspective, Chelsea would commit a huge blunder by getting Giroud off their books in the summer.
The Blues have been crippled by FIFA’s transfer ban which would prevent them from signing any new players for two transfer windows, and Giroud’s departure could possibly spell disaster for them the next term.
Sarri took a gamble by bringing Gonzalo Higuain to the Premier League and it hasn’t paid any great dividends so far, with the Argentine international failing to hit top gear.
And Chelsea won’t be able to sign the veteran permanently due to the transfer ban even if the manager wants him to stay beyond the current season.
With Alvaro Morata now out of the picture and Higuain set to return to Juventus at the end of the season, the Blues would have Olivier Giroud as their only possible option up front next term.
Given that Giroud is out of contract in the summer, Chelsea currently find themselves in a really precarious situation as they would not have any options to spearhead the attack next season.
Chelsea will probably have to rely on Tammy Abraham in the upcoming season.
The youngster has been in terrific form on loan at Aston Villa in the Championship and he looks likely to make the step up to the Premier League to answer Chelsea’s prayers. Michy Batshuayi is another realistic option, with the Belgian rediscovering his form on loan at Crystal Palace.
However, neither Abraham nor Batshuayi is particularly experienced at the Premier League level and that is exactly where someone like Giroud might prove to be an indispensable asset to the club.
The 32-year-old is still good enough to play at the highest level and the Blues would dig a big hole for themselves by letting him leave, particularly with the transfer ban looming.
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Given that Chelsea have a stringent policy of offering only one-year contracts to players above the age of 30, they should keep the Frenchman for at least another season to avoid a potential burn out of options.