Ahead of the 2018 winter transfer window, Olivier Giroud was struggling for game-time at a London giant and being linked with a move to West Ham United.
Two years on, while the World Cup winner is wearing the blue of Chelsea rather than the red of Arsenal these days, his situation remains unchanged.
After being warned by France boss Didier Deschamps that his status as Le Bleus’ go-to number nine is under threat due to his bench-warming role at club level, Giroud could once again be relying on the January window as a means of escape.
“It’s worrying. I thought I still had a role to play at Chelsea but my playing time is getting reduced a lot. It’s going to have to change or a decision must be made,” said a man who overtook Thierry Henry to become France’s second all-time top goal-scorer last week (Telefoot, via Goal).
Calciomercato reports that West Ham could be a potential option for the evergreen but increasingly seldom-seen 34-year-old.
While Hammers boss David Moyes is yet to break his silence this time around, his intriguing comments from two seasons ago offer an insight into his views on one of the most underrated number nines in recent European history.
“Who knows (if I’ll sign him)?” Moyes told Sky during his first spell at the London Stadium. “I think Olivier Giroud is a talented footballer and has a record of scoring goals.”
Giroud would join Chelsea instead a few weeks later but, with the improving Tammy Abraham and the electrifying Timo Werner limiting him to just 36 minutes of Premier League football this season, a long-awaited switch from West London to the East could be just what every party needs.
Giroud, after all, is exactly what West Ham want the talented but erratic Sebastian Haller to be: a brilliant link-man with a genuine aerial presence, complete with added consistency.
The thought of Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio and Arthur Masuaku working in tandem with Giroud is the stuff claret-and-blue dreams are made of.
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