Giroud may leave Chelsea in the summer cos he is not happy playing 'second role'

Chelsea and France forward Olivier Giroud - Getty

Olivier Giroud will seek to leave Chelsea in the summer if he is not offered a guarantee of greater playing time, with the World Cup winner one of a number of players whose futures remain uncertain.


The France striker, who hopes to add to his nine-goal Europa League tally in the quarter-final second leg at home against Slavia Prague on Thursday night, signed an 18-month contract when moving from Arsenal for £18m in January 2018.

That expires this summer and Chelsea have the option to trigger a one-year extension. Yet Giroud, who has made only seven Premier League starts this term, has yet to hear from the director Marina Granovskaia as to whether that will be taken up.

Asked whether he would be at Stamford Bridge next season, Giroud said: “I have no clue about that now. I have to meet Marina. I’m happy to be here – I may be 32 and have won the World Cup but I don’t want to retire – but I’m not satisfied with second choice. I’m not happy to play the second role.

"...you need to keep that frustration inside you and transform it into positive energy on the pitch. I’m not happy to play the second role. That’s why I said, next year, I will need to have a more important role to play in the team.”

Giroud further said: “They must talk to me before the end of the season.

"...with what I’ve achieved here, there is no reason they won’t give me one more year."