Olivier Giroud open to London return in summer, West Ham United could make move
Olivier Giroud is open to a return to the Premier League with a London club, and West Ham are a potential destination according to The Sun.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker is currently at AC Milan in Serie A, but his contract is set to expire in the summer and he has been linked with a move away from the San Siro.
Now according to a report by journalist Alan Nixon (25 February), Giroud is open to a return to London and the Hammers could look to make a move considering their lack of goals this season.
“Olivier is open to a move back to the Premier League — at a London club,” he wrote.
“The French veteran striker has one eye on a move away from AC Milan, where his contract runs out in the summer.
“West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Brentford could all be potential destinations for Giroud, with the Hammers and Eagles particularly short of goals this season.”
Interesting
Gianluca Scamacca is the obvious option to be the first-choice striker at the London Stadium this season and beyond, while Danny Ings showed in the 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest that he is more than capable of pushing the Italy international for that spot.
Michail Antonio got on the scoresheet in the game against his former side, but the Jamaica international was close to leaving in January with Everton and Wolves mooted to make a move although an injury crisis put a stop to that at the time.
But a summer transfer away for Antonio, who is now essentially third choice up front, could make a lot of sense and could potentially open the door for Giroud to come in and bolster the position.
He wouldn’t expect to be first-choice considering his age, but the World Cup winner and all-time top scorer for the France national team would bring plenty of quality and experience.
It could be a shrewd bit of business if it were to happen, and it’s certainly one to keep an eye on for the summer if Antonio is to move on.