Chelsea Transfer News: Inter Milan lead the race to sign Blues striker Olivier Giroud

Inter Milan have attained pole position in the race to sign Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, the Telegraph reports. The Nerazzurri have joined Aston Villa and Newcastle United in the quest to prize the Frenchman away from Stamford Bridge. Giroud reportedly prefers a move to Italy instead of involving himself in a relegation battle and that has made the Serie A side the favorites for his signature.

The Frenchman also has generated interest from France, with Bordeaux vying for his signature as well, but is warming up to the prospect of reuniting with his former manager Antonio Conte in the Serie A. Giroud was brought to the Stamford Bridge by Conte and played for half a season under the Italian, scoring 5 goals and winning the F.A Cup.

Inter Milan need Giroud as Conte prepares to rotate his squad

Inter Milan’s Italian manager already has a potent strike force in his team this season, with both Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez firing on all cylinders so far. However, with a busy business end of the season ahead, Conte is aware that he will have to rotate his squad to stay in contention in all competitions. The packed Europa League schedule means that the Italian could do with another potent striker in his squad and this is where Giroud could come in handy.

The Frenchman has a stellar record in the Europa League and ended as the top scorer last season, helping Chelsea win the tournament. He could be a fine addition to the squad if Conte does manage to bring him to the San Siro. With Giroud entering into the final 6 months of his contract with the Blues, Chelsea hardly have any bargaining power in their hands at the moment and can only ask for a meager fee. Inter are already ready to pay £2.5m to get the deal done.

The Nerazzurri are willing to sell striker Gabriel Barbosa in January, but Chelsea are not interested in the Brazilian.

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