Chelsea star reveals he did everything could to leave the club in the January transfer window but was blocked to do so by the club.
Chelsea star Olivier Giroud has revealed that he did everything he could to leave the London Club in the January transfer window. The striker has struggled to find a place in Chelsea’s starting 11 regularly. As a result, he attempted to organise a move away in pursuit of more playing time in order to make it to the French squad for the upcoming Euro 2020.
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Giroud revealed that he had contacts with Lazio and Tottenham. His first priority though, was Inter Milan. Chelsea would eventually block the move. However, the striker, whose contract ends this summer, decided to fight for his place instead of sulking.
“Even I saw myself elsewhere to be honest. I went through six complicated months,” Giroud told Telefoot.
I did everything I could to leave Chelsea, but they did not want to let me go unless they could get a replacement. Inter Milan was my priority with contacts as well with Lazio and Tottenham. But the circumstances brought Chelsea to block me.”
“This was not my choice. Aside from that, either you sulk or you come back fighting to win your place. The coach promised me more playing time, he kept his word. I simply took my chance. I knew that it was not prudent to go on strike; or to try and mess with the atmosphere in the dressing room. Because that is not me, and because I knew that there was a large chance that I would stay at Chelsea.”
The ex-Montpellier star also revealed Lyon’s interest in him. However, he was adamant that he would only move to Inter Milan.
“Yes, president Jean-Michel Aulas called me. I got him on the phone. He expressed his interest to me and I simply told him that I was flattered by Lyon’s interest but that my priority was focused on Inter.”
Despite not playing for a majority of the season, Giroud is hopeful that his recent performance will help him find a place in France’s squad for the Euros.
“Yes, [France coach] Didier Deschamps spoke to me in October. Seeing that it was not going well for me, he warned me. He told me about MLS and that it was not an option to be able to play at Euro 2020.”
“The Euros remains a big objective for me, well, if it actually takes place… Seriously, it is always a source of enormous disappointed not to be selected and I hope that my recent performances with Chelsea will convince the coach to call me up.”
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