Inter Milan, Olivier Giroud agree personal terms; but Chelsea want €10m — report

Here we go!

Olivier Giroud’s long-expected Chelsea exit and long-rumoured reunion with former Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte looks to be actually happening and probably pretty soon, with Italian Transfer Oracle Fabrizio Romano reporting exclusively on a fruitful meeting yesterday in Milan between Giroud’s agent and Inter Milan directors.

Romano says that the two sides, who had previously gone a few rounds over wages, have reached an agreement over a “contract until 2022”, which sounds like fantastic work from Giroud’s agent. The 33-year-old has just 6 months left on his current contract. Now seems set for 30.

As Romano points out, the transfer is still missing a crucial piece: agreement between the two teams. But presumably that will follow without too much delay.

We’ve all been expecting this development, so there should be little reason not to let go the third-choice striker who’s barely featured this season — and that’s regardless of whether we’re able to bring in (or promote from the youth team?) a striker to replace Giroud (as if any striker worth a transfer fee wants to be third choice).

UPDATE: Romano’s full report in the Guardian indicates that the two teams are a bit further apart than I had imagined — €4m being offered; €10m wanted — but surely we can figure this out eventually.