Milan will not be able to sign Olivier Giroud on a free transfer, as Chelsea activated the clause to prolong his deal for another year. The Blues actually announced today that the unilateral move was made in April. The Rossoneri will have to negotiate a fee with the English club if still interested in adding him. The talks were considered to be so advanced that Zlatan Ibrahimovic directly mentioned him in an interview earlier today.
The player commented from the French camp, without shutting the door on a transfer: “I like Ibrahimovic’s character and how he expresses himself, even if at times he is a little rough. Seeing him say things like that provides extra motivation. I do not want to talk about the future right now. Milan is an option among others.”
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia explained the club’s decision: “Olivier has been such a crucial part of so many big moments for this club, from his contribution to our FA cup victory in 2018 to scoring 11 goals on the way to winning the Europa League in 2019. He has continued to score significant goals, and we will never forget his effort against Atletico Madrid. With so much to play for, there was only one decision we could make when we exercised the option to extend his contract back in April.”
Despite the part-time role, the French striker was the top scorer for his side in Europe this year. He has been routinely linked to several Serie A outfits over the last few seasons but always ended up staying with the Pensioners.
While Giroud may no longer be moving to Milan, Fikayo Tomori is set to be officially acquired for the full £25M option to buy next week, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.