Chelsea will likely extend Olivier Giroud while bundling Gonzalo Higuain back to Juventus. These are the right choices for these two players, and for the young strikers ready to step up.
Maurizio Sarri had the unusual fortune of Chelsea buying him the two players he most desired and requested by name. Jorginho did exactly what his patron wanted him to do, and we’ll leave it at that. Gonzalo Higuain, despite knowing the system, did not produce enough under Sarriball for the Blues to justify the option to buy, even if Sarri stays for another season.
Olivier Giroud is one of several Chelsea players who must have been absolutely floored – if not rightfully infuriated – to spend the season behind one of Sarri’s favourites despite all performances to the contrary. Giroud led the Europa League with 10 goals, and had two goals and four assists in the Premier League. Higuain, despite arriving in January, had over 200 more Premier League minutes than Giroud, scoring five goals. Giroud started only seven league games, while the late-arriving and less productive Higuain started thirteen.
Even Chelsea have their limits for bad decision-making, though. They will likely offer Giroud a one-year extension, which he would surely only sign if Higuain left. Fortunately, the Blues seem willing to oblige him.
Giroud spoke several times in the season about his dissatisfaction as a distant second to his portly peer. Giroud has more to offer a team than coming off the bench in the league and featuring only in Europe. A move to back to France seemed likely, as Giroud could be a regular starter domestically and in Europe with most teams. However, the Blues need strikers and experienced strikers, in particular. If they can make some reasonable promise of more playing time for next season, keeping Giroud is a smart move.
Given Chelsea’s string of underperforming purchases and loans at striker they have little reason not to trust Tammy Abraham with the starting spot next season. No striker worth Chelsea’s attention and likely to overcome the curse of the No. 9 is on the market. Any other purchase would be another place-holder: mildly competent at best, another flop and hindrance to Abraham at worst.
Giroud has been around the Premier League enough to be a valuable mentor to Tammy Abraham and, hopefully, Michy Batshuayi. Abraham, Giroud and Batshuayi could work as a platoon, similar to how the Blues cycled through Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto’o. Each could have his particularly place in the formation and the squad.
They would still be battling on a roughly equal playing field for the starting spot, but the coach would not need to be overly dependent on one of them as the club has been in recent seasons on Diego Costa, Alvaro Morata or Gonzalo Higuain. The coach can balance the workload to account for Abraham’s inexperience and Giroud’s age. The distribution of playing minutes over any span of weeks or months could change over the season to reflect performances and Abraham’s development into a Premier League and Champions League calibre striker.
Chelsea have been skating by with only two strikers in the lineup for the last few seasons because of Eden Hazard’s ability – if not willingness – to play centre-forward. With Hazard likely gone next season and Callum Hudson-Odoi missing the first part of the season with his injury, the Blues will not have the option of slotting a winger into the centre. Nor do we expect Sarri or his successor will grab his Simeone’s and try Ross Barkley as a false-nine.
The Blues need three strikers in the squad, not just for tactical flexibility but to ensure there remains an option on the bench if one is injured.
Chelsea do not have to hit the transfer or loan market to have such a corps. Michy Batshuayi has proven himself repeatedly in his odd loan saga, despite his inability to get over the hump at Chelsea with Antonio Conte or Maurizio Sarri. If this is not his moment, the club should move him on. But not without giving him a true chance to establish himself as part of a battery, if not the starting No. 9.
Of the other two, one of the strikers should be experienced and the other should be Tammy Abraham. The Blues are making the right choice in selecting Olivier Giroud as the former.