Olympique de Marseille make Olivier Giroud approach — report

RMC Sport claim that Marseille have approached Olivier Giroud’s “entourage” about a possible move to the South of France. Presumably they’re gauging the world champion’s interest before they make a direct approach to Chelsea. Marseille are in search of a striker and they’ve been trying to work a deal for Nice’s Mario Balotelli. But those talks have dragged on for weeks and are currently stalled. Hence OM’s switch to the Chelsea man.

Should the matter ever reach the level of talks between the clubs, it might be a short conversation. RMC Sport themselves report that Chelsea aren’t inclined to sell the France international, who in four short months of playing for the Blues made a strong and positive impact on his teammates, fans and management. As with everyone else at the club, how well he’ll fit in a system which is radically different to last season’s is an open question. As for Giroud himself, the Daily Mail claims that he intends to stay and fight for his place.

But it is funny how things can change.

In January, Chelsea’s strike force was in crisis. Alvaro Morata had scored just two Premier League goals in the entire month of December, and he was about to sit out three weeks with a suspension and a back injury. Plan B, Michy Batshuayi, never adapted to Antonio Conte’s target-man vision for the No.9 position. Plan C was putting a grumpy Eden Hazard up front. So off we went to the winter transfer market in search of immediate help, landing Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud on the last day of the window.

Fast forward eight months; judging by the clamor coming from other clubs, you’d think Chelsea belonged to the 1% with our wealth of centre-forwards.

But for the moment at least, Chelsea are going to rebuff approaches for La Barbe Magnifique. Even if he did skip out on his promise to shave his head.