Olivier Giroud Confirms He Wants to Stay at Chelsea

Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has revealed he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge amid swirling speculation around the veteran's future.

Having played fewer than 200 minutes in all competitions so far this season, the Frenchman started and struck all four goals in the Blues' 4-0 demolition of Sevilla in the Champions League on Wednesday night, including a 'perfect' hat-trick - left foot, right foot, header.

There had been plenty of rumours surrounding the 34-year-old ahead of that display, with both the player himself and his international manager Didier Deschamps recently suggesting a January move in search of more game time might be for the best should the front man wish to maintain his place in France's plans for the postponed European Championship next summer.

Giroud is a regular for France under Deschamps | Xavier Laine/Getty Images

Antonio Conte's Inter have been the most strongly linked, while there has also been talk of a move across London to Tottenham or West Ham.

However, following his stunning performance in Andalusia, Giroud has moved to assure the Chelsea faithful that his ideal would be to stay at the club.

"I just have to show the manager that I am ready to fight until the end, as I told him at the beginning of the season, but obviously to be happy I need to be a little bit more on the pitch," he told the club's official website.

"The gaffer gave me the opportunity to play and I hope I will have more opportunities again because I think I’ve shown him that I am ready to fight for the team. We all want to be on the pitch but we have a great squad."

Unsurprisingly, the striker now believes he stands a good chance of getting more game time following his four-goal haul in southern Spain.

"If I play a bit more than in the beginning of the season, I have a good chance to be fit and ready for the Euros," he continued. "I had a conversation with Deschamps and he said if the situation stayed like that, I will have to take a decision in January. I am pretty sure I can get some more game time and stay at Chelsea because that is what I want. I want to win trophies with Chelsea so basically that’s it.

"You never know in football, everything is going very fast, but right now I am very happy. I am a happy man and I am proud to be a Chelsea player."

Lampard congratulates Giroud after he was substituted | Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Despite using Giroud sparingly, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has often spoken of his professionalism and importance within the squad, and heaped praise on the Frenchman once again following the group-winning victory in Seville.

"He is the ultimate professional, and I think he's done that in his career," Lampard said. "And I think that's why with Oli you see his numbers for France and in the Champions League.

"When I came in he wasn't always a regular before I got here, but as soon as I came in I could feel the positivity off him as a player, how he wants to train, how he wants to affect people whether he starts or not."


Source : 90min