Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud reveals that Tottenham tried to sign him in January
Olivier Giroud has revealed that he received offers from Tottenham, Lazio and Inter in the January transfer window.
The Chelsea striker has endured a largely frustrating season at Stamford Bridge, finding himself behind Tammy Abraham in the centre-forward pecking order.
The France international started only two Premier League games before the turn of the year, leading to speculation that he could depart in the mid-season window.
Giroud's deal expires on June 30, which means he was free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs in January.
And the former Arsenal centre-forward says there was plenty of interest in services, including from Jose Mourinho's Tottenham.
But it was an offer from Inter - managed by ex-Chelsea boss Antonio Conte - that appealed most to Giroud, who has been in England for almost eight years.
“Everyone knows that the sporting project of Inter was the most interesting for me,” Giroud told Telefoot.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
“Lazio and Tottenham also looked for me. At one point, it was a question of where I wanted to go to play. I spoke to Conte on the phone.”
Giroud's future has become even more unclear since the European season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Premier League is currently on hold until April 30 at the earliest, but many believe the break in play will last much longer.
FIFA are currently considering ways to extend players' contract and registration periods if the campaign runs beyond June 30, when Giroud and others will become free agents.
But the Frenchman says he would be happy to sign fresh terms at Stamford Bridge.
"Yes. Yes. Of course," he said when asked if he would consider extending his time at Chelsea.
"There are a few months to go, games to win and maybe another trophy, and after, you know, I think I have two [or] three nice seasons in front of me.
"It’s not the time to talk about contracts and everything but I will make a decision when it comes.”
READ MORE
No going back to normal: The way football works will have to change completely when this hiatus ends
Quiz! Can you name the 30 most expensive transfers of the past 12 months?
Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).