Chelsea: Olivier Giroud may never leave SW6, which is fine with fans
After the latest series of Olivier Giroud exit rumors, it seems as if he’s getting cold feet and may reconsider his decision to leave Chelsea in January.
Olivier Giroud is built different. This phrase has made its way to the forefront of pop culture in recent years, mostly because of its status as a meme amongst youth. He may have heard some of the Centennials around the Chelsea locker room jokingly saying that about one another, but what the Frenchman likely doesn’t realize is that he embodies that principle.
Giroud is cut from the same cloth as individuals like Cristiano Ronaldo. No one simile represents Giroud quite like the old cliche that he ages like fine wine. The phrase may be overused and overrated—everything Giroud isn’t—but it puts his talent into perspective perfectly. It goes without saying that anybody of this pedigree works wonders in a dressing room, Giroud is no different. This is why the rumors of his mid-season exit come as a concern to supporters, but his departure is now coming into question.
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Giroud was given a Champions League start in Sevilla and suffice it to say, he impressed. The 34-year-old followed up his late heroics in Rennes with a haul against the Spaniards. Giroud’s four goals saw Chelsea easily dispatch of Julen Lopetegui’s side en route to winning Group E with a game to spare.
While it seemed a certainty Giroud already had one foot out the door ahead of the January transfer window, it now looks like he’s taking two steps back. The main motivation behind the French forward’s presumed exit was his desire to continue playing under Didier Deschamps in the French National Team. Despite scoring no goals in the country’s World Cup winning tournament two years ago, Giroud remained France’s No. 1 up top.
His appearances have decreased as of late though, which doesn’t bode well for the striker seeing as he’s just seven goals behind Thierry Henry’s all-time French record. The European Championships are right around the corner and Deschamps was adamant that Giroud needed more minutes at the club level. Deschamps—a former Chelsea man himself—seems to be all right with his striker staying at Stamford Bridge so long as he’s getting minutes.
Four days have now seemingly flipped the script for Frank Lampard on this issue. Tammy Abraham’s missed opportunities against Tottenham—partnered with Giroud’s flawless performance in Spain—have now given the Chelsea gaffer some things to think about in the last month before the window. The call seems obvious to so many, but at the end of the day, Lampard is paid the big bucks to make difficult decisions.
No matter what the club decides to do, Giroud’s professionalism through it all needs to be noted. The grizzled veteran has seemingly sang this song before—for the last three years, actually. Every time the winter window is opened, different rumors emerge and Giroud’s bags are already packed. How true this is, few will ever truly know. One aspect of the transfer merry-go round that is a widely known fact though is Giroud has remained a consummate professional.
Circling back to the built different comment, Giroud is truly super-human in today’s football scene. Is he frustrated with his lack of minutes, especially after a considerable conclusion to last campaign? Absolutely. Will he ever have media meltdowns like modern day footballers—such as Neymar—do? No chance in hell. Giroud will wait until the moment he’s given his chance as he chooses to silence his critics the old fashioned way—on the pitch. A professional leader like the Frenchman is a necessity in the Blues’ dressing room. It only seems fair Giroud is the one who continuously defies Chelsea’s over-30 policy with endless one-year contract extensions.
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In conclusion—to use another outdated comparison—Stamford Bridge is Giroud’s ‘Hotel California’. The Frenchman can let his contract run out any time he’d like, but he can never leave. Let it be known that we’re all OK with an eternal Giroud stay.