Any potential deal for West Ham United to sign Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud depends on his club’s transfer ban in January, according to Claret and Hugh.
The club source claim on their website that the French international is open to a move away from Stamford Bridge, and that it is possible the Hammers might seek a loan move to add more depth in the final third.
Claret and Hugh report that it seems reasonable that Frank Lampard would want to keep the £110,000-a-week ace [Spotrac] should he not be able to buy any replacement or cover for Tammy Abraham in the winter window.
OPINION
It would make perfect sense for Lampard to wait and learn the outcome on their transfer ban before making any sort of decision on the future of Giroud. The experienced forward has had little chance to make an impact this season already, and would certainly be allowed to leave if Chelsea have the chance to potentially sign a younger player that the Blues’ boss would rather work with. The 33-year-old has hardly featured this season, making four appearances with three of those coming off the bench, failing to score a single goal in all competitions. Giroud isn’t really the type of player that West Ham need right now though, as he wouldn’t exactly get a bigger amount of playing time at the London Stadium. Manuel Pellegrini will most likely always stick with record-signing Sebastien Haller, meaning that Giroud would arrive on big wages and hardly feature. The Hammers need a younger, more vibrant player who can play around Haller and give him the partner that he is so desperately craving right now.
