:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66225783/1161631344.jpg.0.jpg)
In his quest to leave the club this month, Chelsea backup striker Olivier Giroud found interest from several clubs across Europe who were keen on giving him more playing time than he’s gotten this season at Stamford Bridge.
However, all those efforts are likely to be for naught, as, according to the Athletic, Chelsea were unable to find a proper replacement — or any replacement, for that matter.
Being told Chelsea’s attempts to secure a replacement for Olivier Giroud are over & he’ll stay at #CFC until the summer regardless of whether he plays. Would take something extraordinary to change the situation before tonight’s 11pm deadline @TheAthleticUK https://t.co/JsZSmCIYUC
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) January 31, 2020
While we still have about 10 hours left in the transfer window, Chelsea are most unlikely to strike a deal for one our reported targets, such as Napoli’s Dries Mertens or PSG’s Edinson Cavani. And so, Giroud will have to stay at Chelsea for the remainder of the season, after which he will be able to leave for free.
The problem, of course, isn’t the financial side of the situation. Giroud wanted to leave because he needs minutes to ensure his spot on the French national team ahead of Euro 2020. Hopefully, given that he’s been a model professional throughout, we can grant him a few more minutes as we continue to work hard towards our successes this season.