This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea are open to selling Pedro and Olivier Giroud in the January transfer window, with Crystal Palace described as being previously interested in the latter.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Sun reported last month that the experienced Frenchman – who has won 94 caps for his country – was wanted by the south Londoners this winter as they look to solve their goalscoring woes.
Roy Hodgson’s side have scored just ten goals in 11 games, with only Watford, Southampton and Newcastle – two of whom are in the relegation zone – scoring either the same amount or less.
The report from The Telegraph states that Frank Lampard is open to selling the experienced World Cup-winning duo as the Blues look to introduce their new generation of stars, which could prove beneficial to Palace in their hunt for Giroud.
Transfer boost from a negotiating perspective
The south Londoners were already in a pretty strong negotiating position even before The Telegraph’s update, as the 33-year-old striker has just six months remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge.
Additionally, the report also states that Giroud wants to leave in order to keep his place in Didier Deschamps’ France squad for the European Championships next summer.
So, with that news already in existence, the recent nugget of information pinpointing the fact that the west Londoners are happy to see the former Montpellier man moved on has only improved Steve Parish’s position when the two sides come to the negotiating table – if that day does come around, of course.
It would be somewhat of a shrewd signing from Palace to capture a seasoned international striker who boasts over 200 career goals, and the stumbling blocks that stand in their way of completing a deal seem few and far between given the many green lights surrounding the deal from both side’s perspectives.
