Chelsea: Keeping Giroud at Stamford Bridge is vital for the Blues

With reports of Juventus being interested in Olivier Giroud, keeping him at Stamford Bridge will be vital for Chelsea’s upcoming season.

Chelsea has made some incredible signings this offseason, but Olivier Giroud must remain at the club despite the competition and interest from other top clubs. When it comes to the striker position, the Blues now have plenty of depth to choose from with Tammy Abraham, Olivier Giroud and Timo Werner competing for the same position. Unfortunately, the odd one out is the Frenchman. However, his contribution to the club has been crucial in recent years, so this season will be no different.

Frank Lampard will not fall short of fire power this season with the number of players at his disposal. However, games are not played on paper and on the field, things can be different. There are no guarantees that Werner or Abraham will perform at the levels needed throughout the entire season; that is where Giroud comes in to show everyone how it is done. Thus, bringing stability, as well as serving as bridge for the future.

First, it’s important to discuss Werner and his wide margin of talent. The German international has had a fine career in his home league. However, the Bundesliga cannot be compared to the Premier League and it will take some time before he fully adapts. Werner is a great player with even greater potential, but his style of play may adapt at Chelsea. His acceleration and pace, along with his intelligent finishing skills, make him a threat in front of goal at any point in time. But in order to utilize those abilities, he will need to grow his game to the compact scenarios of the English top flight.

This, of course, will take time. Therefore, Werner is not likely to start in each of the first five games or so—he could only get 10 minutes in each one to ease into the transition. This is the correct management strategy in order to get the best of the 24-year-old in the long run. However, someone needs to take the spot and score the goals, which is where Giroud comes in. The Frenchman has the experience and the capability to be the support system for the young strikers. Moreover, he is a leader in the attack, allowing others to score when he can’t do it himself. Thereby making his stay a necessity, not a luxury.

In the case of Abraham, things are complicated. The young Englishman was given a vote of confidence by Lampard last season and to his credit, he took it. Abraham was sensational towards the first half of the season as he scored plenty of important, world class goals that highlighted his potential.

However, Abraham also showcased worrying deficiencies. Despite his great potential, and ability to work around some of his faults, the 22-year-old still has pronounced shortcomings: physical power, first-time finishing and making effective passes in the final third. Now, that is not to say that he cannot improve. But again, someone needs to fill the spot while he improves.

The bottom line is, Giroud will act as the main man, as well as fail-safe for Chelsea this season. In order for Lampard to win something this season, he will need every reliable player available. Giroud is exactly what will help the manager, and the club, succeed this season. Meanwhile, he’ll help grow the other strikers, teaching them to adapt and improve in order to take the lead in the future.