West Ham Opinion: Why Pellegrini should make a move for Olivier Giroud?
Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has hinted at a possible return to France to see out the remainder of his career.
The France international, 32, has started just six Premier League games and scored once under Maurizio Sarri, but remains a regular in the Europa League, where he is the top scorer this season.
He joined the Blues from Arsenal in January 2018 and has scored 15 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions.
But the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain in the January transfer window has seen Olivier Giroud fall out of favour under Sarri.
The French centre-forward is out of contract in west London at the end of the season which will make him available on a free transfer this summer.
Despite the 32-year-old expressing his desire to return back to France after the expiry of his contract at Chelsea, West Ham should snap him up on a potential free transfer.
According to January’s report from the Daily Mail, West Ham had plotted a deadline day move for Giroud. Possibly, their interest in Giroud then could have been due to concerns over Marko Arnautovic, who was China-bound in the winter transfer window.
But as Arnautovic stayed put at the London stadium and signed a one-year extension to his contract, the rumours linking Giroud to West Ham dried up.
But come summer, the Hammers should revive their interest in the Frenchman and sign him up as a replacement for Andy Carroll. Carroll is out of contract in the summer, while Lucas Perez is likely to depart the London Stadium after falling out of favour under Pellegrini.
With concerns over Arnautovic’s fitness and Javier Hernandez’s reliability up front, Giroud, thus, will be a viable target for the Londoners.
Giroud is a traditional number 9 that excels in holding up play and creating chances for his teammates in the final third. The Frenchman thrives off crosses and is a fantastic link-up player to have in and around the box.
Despite being so tall and strong, he possesses strong technique and plays brilliantly on the first touch, whilst being extremely dominant in the air.
The former Montpellier and Arsenal man is a selfless striker and was consistently picked up by Didier Deschamps in France’s World Cup-winning campaign last year, regardless of failing to score a single goal in the tournament.
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On Monday, Giroud found the net in the 4-0 victory over Iceland in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier to cap another accomplished display from the veteran target man who often goes unappreciated, despite a prolific run at both club and international level.
Verdict
If West Ham
