Chelsea are set to sign Olivier Giroud from Arsenal before the transfer window closes on Wednesday, according to reports.
With Alvaro Morata struggling for form recently, Chelsea have been linked with a number of forwards this month as Antonio Conte looks to bring in a new choice to provide competition and support to the Spaniard.
During the past few weeks, the Blues have been linked with the likes of Andy Caroll of West Ham, Peter Crouch of Stoke City, Edin Hazard of Roma and even Burnley star Ashley Barnes.
It now appears that Giroud could be the man that will arrive at Stamford Bridge, given that Arsenal are expected to soon sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund. The Frenchman has not featured regularly this season, with Arsene Wenger opting to utilize Alexandre Lacazette ahead of him.
The arrival of Aubameyang, who is regarded as one of the world’s best strikers, will likely only further deplete the amount of game time that Giroud receives during the second half of the season.
Given that he is a proven Premier League goalscorer, Giroud could be a good short-term signing for Chelsea.
Giroud needs regular game time ahead of World Cup
With the 2018 World Cup fast approaching, Giroud knows that he will have to start playing and scoring goals as regularly as possible between now and the end of the season if he wants to be part of the Les Bleus squad that will travel to Russia.
According to some bookmakers, Chelsea are now 8/11 to sign Giroud, which means that his chances of staying put at the Emirates are now slim. With negotiations between Chelsea and Edin Dzeko proving to be difficult, it has also been reported that Giroud has now become the first choice target of the Blues.
Dzeko apparently only wants to move to Stamford Bridge if he is offered a two-and-a-half year deal while the Blues are only willing to offer the 31-year-old an 18-month contract.