“Our cult hero”: Some fans react as Chelsea confirm first major departure of the summer

Serie A giants identify Chelsea outcast as perfect Oliver Giroud replacement

Chelsea fans react as Olivier Giroud joins AC Milan

As confirmed by the club’s official website, Olivier Giroud has left Chelsea to join Serie A giants AC Milan on a permanent transfer.

Signed from London rivals Arsenal in the January transfer window of 2018, Giroud grew into a valuable player during his time at Stamford Bridge. The 34-year-old won the FA Cup, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Champions League during his stint with the club, scoring some spectacular and crucial goals along the way.

Giroud racked up 119 appearances for Chelsea, with 59 of those coming as a substitute. He scored 39 goals during these appearances. Having been in the final year of his deal, the veteran striker saw his contract unilaterally extended by the club earlier this year in order to protect his value.

Now, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has departed Chelsea, joining up with AC Milan in a deal worth up to £1.6m, as reported by the Evening Standard. Prior to the move being announced, Giroud had bid his goodbye to the club with a message on social media, part of which read:

“To all the Blues, to my team-mates, to all my coaches, to the whole club, a huge thank you for these special moments.”

Now with the move officially being announced by Chelsea, fans took to Twitter to hail Giroud’s contributions to the club while also wishing him luck for what lies ahead.