Olivier Giroud Chelsea 2018-19Getty Images

Giroud sees Bordeaux join list of suitors as Chelsea exit talk builds

Olivier Giroud has seen Bordeaux become the latest club to express an interest in luring him away from a frustrating spell at Chelsea.

The 32-year-old is struggling for regular minutes with the Blues, and has done throughout his time at Stamford Bridge.

He was only taken from north London to west in January 2018, with Chelsea snapping him up from Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Article continues below

Giroud has registered 17 goals and become a World Cup winner since swapping red for blue in English football, but has not figured as prominently as he had hoped.

Exit talk continues to swirl around him as a result, with Maurizio Sarri still favouring other options and keen to wrap up a permanent deal for loan star Gonzalo Higuain this summer.

A return to his native France has been mooted for Giroud, with Bordeaux’s chief scout Hugo Varela admitting that the experienced frontman would be of interest to his Ligue 1 employers.

“People who know him have told us a lot of good things about him as a player, of course, but also as a person,” Varela told L’Equipe.

“He has the attributes we are looking for, but he is not the only one.

“No matter who comes, we know that negotiations will be difficult.”

Olivier Giroud Chelsea 2018-19Getty Images

Bordeaux are not the only side to have admitted to monitoring Giroud’s situation at Chelsea.

Their domestic rivals Lille are also waiting to discover if a suitable agreement could be reached that suits all parties.

Their sporting director, Gilles Grimandi, has said: "It's tempting of course.

“I know Olivier very well. I was the one who made him come from Montpellier to Arsenal.

“He offers guarantees in terms of efficiency. We like his profile. But he's in another planet. He's unreachable.”

Grimandi was alluding to Giroud’s salary.

A pay cut would probably be required in order for him to head home, but there promises to be various options for him to explore during the summer transfer window.

He may not be the only player edging to the exits at Chelsea either, with speculation continuing to suggest that Real Madrid target Eden Hazard will soon be parting company with the Blues.

Advertisement