Olivier Giroud’s departure hints at great possibilities for Chelsea

Chelsea has agreed to part ways with Olivier Giroud as the Frenchman heads off for AC Milan. While his departure has been a long time coming, the timing hints at great possibilities in the transfer window for the Blues. The moment Giroud signed for Chelsea in 2018, it was destined he would become the player he always wanted to be. Now, after winning almost everything available to him in a blue shirt (FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League), Giroud is leaving Stamford Bridge. It goes without saying that the fans, as well as the club, wish him great success in Serie A.

That being said, with his departure comes great speculation. As it stands, Chelsea would only have Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham to rely on in the striker position, but neither of them are ready to lead the front line. Therefore, the Blues must turn to the transfer market.

Olivier Giroud’s departure opens up doors for Chelsea.

First, before diving into the transfer market, we need to discuss Werner. While he proved to be useful during a difficult season, there is no guarantee he will improve to the expected levels supporters had for him when he joined. If last season is a projection of Werner’s future performances, Chelsea is in serious trouble. Taking that into consideration, the German international is clearly not lone-striker material and will require a lot of assistance scoring and creating goals. On the other hand, however, is Abraham—who is not trusted by manager Thomas Tuchel. After last season’s success it is hard to question the German’s judgement, so if he is not impressed with the English striker, it will be hard to dispute if Abraham is sold, or simply kept as a last resource. Thereby, this simple fact takes him out of the race for the acclaimed position.

Furthermore, both strikers need to be challenged. In this regard, Giroud was not a regular starter, but when he came off the bench, he got the job done. One way or another, Giroud pushed Werner and Abraham to become better. Without him, they will need someone to threaten to take over the role for good in order to get the best out of them.

Considering the aforementioned, this makes Chelsea’s approach for Erling Haaland all the more possible. Ultimately, Tuchel needs a striker that can win him the difficult games. Haaland has all the separate attributes Abraham and Werner possess. He can play in a partnership, lone striker, is clinical inside the box and is a proven goal scorer. The only concern is his price tag. It is rumored that Borussia Dortmund’s asking price for the Norwegian international is around £150 million. While this sounds outrageous, Haaland could be the future of Chelsea. More importantly though, he is the only rational option all things considered.

Giroud will go down as one of the greatest budget signings ever for the club. Not only did he come for Arsenal to become a better player and a winner, but he ruined their hopes of a European trophy in the process. He was a professional all around for the Blues and will be greatly missed. Chelsea needs a replacement this transfer window. As things stand, the club has the capabilities and the momentum to sign a superstar. Therefore, Chelsea should look no further than Haaland and turn the possibility into a reality.

How do you think the Blues should fill the void left by Giroud’s exit? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!