Olivier Giroud closing in on January move

Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is reportedly on the brink of sealing a move to French side Marseille, according to French publication Le Foot. The Blues could loan the  32-year-old before securing a permanent deal when his contract at Stamford Bridge expires in the summer. Giroud only joined Chelsea from Arsenal in January. He was the first choice under previous boss Antonio Conte, starting the FA Cup final win, however, he is now looking for regular first team football. The France international has endured a desperate run in front of goal and only last week ended a streak of 794 minutes without Chelsea goal with the winner against BATE Borisov in Belarus.  That had followed a run of 1,000 minutes without a goal for either club or country before Giroud struck in the UEFA Nations League win over the Netherlands in September. Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has previously told Giroud that he should not be worried about scoring for the Blues on regular basis. Sarri has insisted that the tall striker offers so much more to the team than just goals and that he is not concerned by his lack of them if he goes on another drought. “Yes, I’m pleased for him,” Sarri said. “He’s a very important player for us because he’s very useful for the team. But I know very well that strikers want to score. And so, for his confidence, I think it’s very important. “But I don’t want him to be worried about scoring because, for us, he’s very important and very useful. Very important.” It remains to be seen whether Sarri will feel letting Giroud leave will hinder his team going forward or not.

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