Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has refused to rule out the possibility of moving to the Major Soccer League. The Frenchman joined the Blues from Arsenal during the January 2018 transfer window. He arrived at the club at a time during which Alvaro Morata was struggling for form and when the West London giants were clearly in need of additional firepower upfront.
Speaking to RMC Sports, Giroud said: “The MLS for my family, my children who speak English, it’s interesting. In a year? In two years? I do not know when. But of course after that I will be open to a final challenge.”
Giroud has done his bit for the club
Giroud arrived at Stamford Bridge when he was already past his prime. The move was a win-win situation for both club and player. It helped the veteran to get the necessary playing time to win selection to the 2018 French World Cup squad while it allowed the Blues additional firepower up front. One could argue that Giroud has exceeded expectations for Chelsea. He played a key role in helping the club to win the Europa League last season as he went on to net 11 goals in Europe’s second-tier club competition.
This is likely Giroud’s last season with Chelsea. He is a decent option to provide cover for Tammy Abraham this season. However, the Blues must look for a player who can genuinely provide Abraham with stuff competition for his place in the team and who can potentially score as many goals as the youngster. Giroud remains a valuable player but no longer has the agility or fitness to score goals on a regular basis.
He is likely to want to push to win selection to the French team which will play in the European Championships next year. If he opts to end his international career after the tournament which could well happen, a move to the MLS would make sense as it would allow him to wind down his career in a less physical League. However, if Giroud wants to carry on testing himself against the best, a move to a club which is playing in one of Europe’s top five Leagues would make sense.
