Whilst the decision to trigger an option to extend the contract of Olivier Giroud at Chelsea had thrown a spanner into AC Milan’s works, it’s now emerged that a transfer will stay be possible for the striker.
Calciomercato have received an exclusive statement from the star’s agents, in which Michael Manuello, Luca Antonini and Ciro Morabito have expressed that Giroud will be ‘free’ to leave if offers arrive.
The Italian outlet have also offered an update on the stance of AC Milan, reporting that the Rossoneri were in talks over a two-year deal for Giroud on a free transfer.
However, it’s added that the 34-year-old will only remain a ‘goal’ for the historic European giants if he is available on a free, so it’s a case of Chelsea either letting the ace or walk for nothing or no deal.
The Blues this afternoon officially announced that they’d taken up the option to extend the Frenchman’s contract by a year – until next summer, a stipulation which they state was exercised in April.
Here is the statement from the target-man’s entourage:
“Chelsea have exercised a unilateral option, but in case of offers they will leave him free.”
Giroud has been with the Blues since January of 2018, sparking the fury of Arsenal fans when he decided to move across to West London in a switch that has paid off in silverware.
The Frenchman has been reliable for the Blues but he experienced a much lesser role in the team this season owing to the signing of Timo Werner and battling Tammy Abraham for the backup spot.
Despite Giroud only starting 12 of his 32 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea in their turnaround of a campaign, the skilled forward still scored 11 times.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea are actually keen on keeping hold of Giroud – a bizarre choice due to the minimal role he’s played under Thomas Tuchel, or if this is just a business decision.
Milan’s free or no deal stance could also be an ultimatum if they feel that Chelsea have only extended the ace’s contract in an effort to extract a fee for Giroud’s services, rather than seeing him leave for free.