Chelsea to make rare move to try and keep striker

Chelsea are reportedly ready to keep Olivier Giroud at Stamford Bridge beyond summer. The 33-year-old has entered the final months of his contract with Chelsea. Although he struggled to find playing minutes in the first half of the season, Giroud has been Frank Lampard’s first-choice striker in the last five games in the absence of injured Tammy Abraham, ahead of Michy Batshuayi. The French international has only netted twice in those five appearances, but his linkup plays and aerial presence helped Chelsea win three of those games; against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Everton. And according to a report from Calciomercato, it led to Chelsea’s decision to set aside their stance on players at the age of 30 and above, and offer Giroud a “long contract”. The report did not mention the exact number of how long the new contract would be but claimed Chelsea have initiated contacts for his extension. The policy of offering only one year contract to players in their thirties have previously impacted players such as John Terry, Michael Ballack, even Lampard himself. Although, Chelsea have previously broken the policy when they offered David Luiz a two-year deal last year (he was 32 at the time). The current football markets which could be massively impacted by the global pandemic could be one of the main reasons for the decision. article here