Olivier Giroud wants Chelsea stay beyond January transfer window after four-goal haul against Sevilla
Olivier Giroud has reaffirmed his commitment to staying at Chelsea beyond the January transfer window.
The experienced French striker provided a timely reminder of his enduring quality on Wednesday night by scoring four times - including a ‘perfect’ hat-trick - in a rout of Sevilla in Andalusia that secured his side’s passage through to the last 16 of the Champions League as Group E winners.
That was only Giroud’s second start of the 2020/21 season across all competitions, with the former Arsenal frontman struggling for regular first-team opportunities following Chelsea’s expensive summer recruitment drive.
Such a lack of chances for Giroud - who is out of contract at Stamford Bridge next summer - had led to speculation that he would leave west London in January, with France boss Didier Deschamps warning that he had to make a decision over his future in a bid to be included in the Les Bleus squad for the delayed European Championship.
However, while the 34-year-old does not appear to be completely ruling out the possibility of leaving when the transfer market reopens for business in the New Year, he has made it clear that for now his ambition is to remain at Chelsea and earn more playing time.
“I just have to show the manager that I am ready to fight until the end, as I told him at the beginning of the season, but obviously to be happy I need to be a little bit more on the pitch,” Giroud told the club’s official website.
“The gaffer gave me the opportunity to play and I hope I will have more opportunities again because I think I’ve shown him that I am ready to fight for the team. We all want to be on the pitch but we have a great squad.”
Giroud, who handed manager Frank Lampard a selection dilemma for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Leeds with what many would deem Chelsea’s strongest XI now fit, added: "If I play a bit more than in the beginning of the season, I have a good chance to be fit and ready for the Euros.
"I had a conversation with Deschamps and he said if the situation stayed like that, I will have to take a decision in January. I am pretty sure I can get some more game time and stay at Chelsea because that is what I want. I want to win trophies with Chelsea so basically that’s it.
"You never know in football, everything is going very fast, but right now I am very happy. I am a happy man and I am proud to be a Chelsea player."
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