Chelsea eyeing swoop for Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud

Another one incoming for the growing list of Chelsea rumours. It feels as if barely a day goes by that the Blues aren’t linked with a striker.

Andy Carroll, Peter Crouch, Ashley Barnes, Edin Dzeko and big Pete from my Sunday-League team (Ok not yet, but we still have five days until the window closes) have all been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

A new name to add to the list is Arsenal frontman Olivier Giroud. The Mirror are claiming the Blues have identified the Frenchman as a perfect alternative to Alvaro Morata.

Giroud joined The Gunners from Montpellier for £9.6m in the summer of 2012. During his time at The Emirates he has found the net a total of 105 times in 252 appearances.

At 6 ft-4 ins (1.92m) tall, Giroud would be the perfect target man that Antonio Conte desires. His ability to hold up play with strength is something Morata currently lacks.

Quitting North-London for West-London would be a strange move for Giroud. The 31-year-old spends a lot of time on Arsenal’s bench behind Alexandre Lacazette in the pecking order. Moving to Chelsea would see him taking up a similar role with Alvaro Morata first-choice.

With this also being a World Cup year, Giroud will be well aware of the need for first-team football if he is to add to his 69 international caps.

Giroud looked to be joining Borussia Dortmund as part of the impending deal that will see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang join Arsenal.

However, Giroud’s departure to the Bundesliga now looks unlikely, possibly paving the way to a move to Stamford Bridge.

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