Chelsea are reportedly set to keep hold of Olivier Giroud this month amid speculation linking him with moves to West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur.
It was claimed that the experienced striker had emerged as a target for David Moyes’ side, with a late loan offer said to have been prepared.
However, according to claims from French news outlet L’Equipe, as cited via Twitter by GFFN, Chelsea are in line to rebuff any approaches for the France international in January.
Twitter: Breaking | Chelsea set to prevent Olivier Giroud from leaving this month, according to L’Équipe. More follows. (@GFFN)
Read West Ham’s verdict
We think that West Ham need to support Sebastien Haller with another high-quality forward for the rest of the season, but we’re not convinced that Giroud was the right fit in the first place.
He is a proven Premier League goalscorer – the Frenchman has netted 78 times in the top flight of English football – but we believe the Hammers would benefit from recruiting a different style of forward.
Haller’s imposing physical stature makes him a strong focal point up top for Moyes’ men, and signing Giroud may not actually provide West Ham with much more threat.
The primary issue, for us, has been supplying Haller with sufficient service; he has scored only six Premier League goals since his summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
In our opinion, Giroud remains a high-quality forward, but West Ham need to identify ways of complementing Haller rather than recruiting the same profile of striker this week.
