Olivier Giroud could still leave Chelsea despite contract extension
According to Calciomercato (h/t Daily Star), Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud could still be on his way out of the club this summer despite signing a new one-year extension.
Giroud has been with Chelsea since January 2019, having signed from local rivals Arsenal. And while he hasn’t always been a regular in the starting XI, the French international has made vital contributions to the team’s cause at every step of the way, winning the FA Cup, the Europa League and the Champions League.
At the end of the season though, it was believed that Giroud would be on his way out with his contract expiring. However, the Blues made a major U-turn by extending his contract by another year, with transfer chief Marina Granovskaia lavishing immense praise on the 34-year-old.
“Olivier has been such a crucial part of so many big moments for this club, from his contribution to our FA Cup victory in 2018 to scoring 11 goals on the way to winning the Europa League in 2019. He has continued to score significant goals, and we will never forget his effort against Atletico Madrid on the way to winning the Champions League this season.”
However, despite him signing the extension, the door remains open for him to leave the club, with one of Giroud’s representatives releasing a statement hinting at the same. (h/t Daily Star)
“Chelsea have exercised a unilateral option, but in the event of offers they let him go.”
If that is indeed the case, the move to trigger the extension would only be a step to protect his transfer value and get a fee in exchange for him.
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Interestingly, Giroud has been heavily linked with a summer transfer to AC Milan. Whether, a move does materialise remains to be seen. But, the door has certainly be left open for such a scenario to happen.
