Chelsea star Olivier Giroud told to play regularly to be in contention for Euros
According to Football.london, French boss Didier Deschamps has urged Chelsea star Olivier Giroud to play more in order to be in contention for next summer’s Euros.
The 34-year-old veteran has played just six times for Frank Lampard’s side in 2020/21. Of these, only two of those appearances have come in the Premier League.
His lack of opportunities at the club has also translated to the international stage. Giroud played just 12 minutes of France’s 1-0 win over Portugal yesterday night.
If Deschamps’ warning is anything to go by, he could be in for a tougher time unless his fortunes at club level improve.
With Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham ahead of him in the pecking order, Giroud is at best the third-choice striker at the club. Chelsea have also been knocked out of the Carabao Cup, further limiting his chances.
Manchester United striker Anthony Martial is increasingly being preferred over Giroud. The young Frenchman is a regular at Old Trafford and Deschamps has revealed he will do what is best for the team.
Deschamps’ point makes sense considering Martial is in better shape than Giroud. At 34, the coming Euros could be Giroud’s last major international tournament.
With just under a year left to go on his Chelsea contract, maybe the time has come for him to move on.
Giroud is being tracked by Italian giants Iner Milan ahead of the January transfer window. Making the move to Italy could see him garner more opportunities to play.
Moreover, it will also see us rake in a fee opposed to losing him for free next summer.
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It is not the first time that Deschamps has brought up Giroud’s lack of playing time at Chelsea. He made a similar observation last season.
Injuries and poor form from Abraham and Michy Batshuayi saw Giroud take the field for the second half of the season. The striker, to his credit, excelled and took the chance with both hands.
Will lightning strike twice or will he seek new pastures elsewhere? We will have to wait and see.