Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is in talks with Marseille over a return to France, just six months after arriving at Stamford Bridge, according to reports in France.
Foot Mercato state that the Ligue 1 side have opened talks with the Frenchman over a return to his homeland, although Nice striker Mario Balotelli is their primary transfer target.
The 31-year-old arrived in South West London from city rivals Arsenal in January, as part of a trio of deals that also saw Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang swap Borussia Dortmund for the Emirates Stadium while Michy Batshuayi moved from Chelsea to Dortmund.
However, Giroud was in and out of the Blues team after his switch, competing with big money signing Alvaro Morata for a place in the side. Now, with new boss Maurizio Sarri lusting over Gonzalo Higuain, the Frenchman could find himself on the move yet again.
Good move for Chelsea?
If Chelsea feel that a deal for Higuain is close then it makes sense for them to move on either Giroud or Morata. Of that pair, Giroud is older and more disposable than a £70million signing. Morata still has tons of potential and will likely be better this term following an inconsistent first season in England. While Giroud hasn’t necessarily done anything wrong since moving to Stamford Bridge, he hasn’t set the world on fire either. If Marseille see their efforts to bring in Balotelli fail, then Giroud makes sense for them as a low cost alternative. Chelsea probably won’t get much for a 31-year-old striker, but if his sale makes room for Higuain then it’s a deal worth doing.
This is Futbol rating: 6/10
Likely to happen?
It’s hard to say with any certainty that this deal will happen because it depends on Marseille’s failure to capture Balotelli and Chelsea’s successful signing of Higuain. If all these moving parts come together then Giroud could well be off, but until then this move remains uncertain.
This is Futbol rating: 4/10