Olivier Giroud is ready to consider offers to leave Chelsea in January to secure greater playing time in the buildup to the European Championship.
The striker has not started a Premier League or Champions League match this season, with his one start in six appearances coming in the Carabao Cup.
Although that contrasts with eight appearances for France and five goals, including two against Sweden on Tuesday, he has been advised by Didier Deschamps to move unless his situation changes, with the summer’s Euro finals in mind.
Giroud’s preferred destinations would be another Premier League club or a team in Italy. Lazio are no longer an option but Internazionale are monitoring the 34-year-old’s situation. Their manager, Antonio Conte, worked with Giroud at Chelsea and holds him in high regard.
Giroud is not at loggerheads with the management, hierarchy or his teammates at Chelsea, for whom he signed a one-year contract extension in May. He is behind Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham in Frank Lampard’s plans at centre-forward and has played for just over half an hour in the Premier League across three games.
Deschamps made his thoughts clear this week. “Olivier Giroud knows it; the situation he’s in today cannot drag on forever,” France’s manager told the radio station RTL. “Before March he will have to find another situation than this one.”
Deschamps added: “He knows what I think, even if I don’t forget everything he has done [for the national team] and everything he would still be able to do.”
Giroud has 44 international goals, seven shy of Thierry Henry’s all-time France scoring record.