In 2024, Olivier Giroud has already marked several important dates on his calendar. On February 15 and 22, if all goes well, he will cross swords with Stade Rennais in the Europa League. In April, his team will face Inter in a hot Milan derby. A shock which will take place a week before a perilous trip to Turin to challenge Juventus. In the meantime, there is a chance that the French striker will make a visit to Clairefontaine during the March rally. A few weeks later, presumably in May, he will carefully scrutinize Didier Deschamps’ list for the 2024 European Championship in Germany.
Euro 2024 in sight
A tournament in which he wants to participate and above all that he wishes to win with the Blues, six years after the victory at the World Cup in Russia. Called up regularly, the striker with 56 goals in 129 caps (87 starts, 7,302 minutes played with the Blues, editor’s note) wants to do everything to be in the game. For this, the former Montpellier player knows full well that he must perform at club level, even if DD has already reached out to him during more difficult times at Chelsea. This season, the 37-year-old footballer has played 20 matches in all competitions, including 19 as a starter.
Valuable for his family, he has already scored 9 goals (8 in Serie A, 1 in the Champions League against PSG). But he could have reached the 10 mark, having missed a penalty in C1 against Borussia Dortmund at the end of November. Regardless, his passing times are pretty good since he scored as many goals as last year at the same stage of the season. He did even better than during his first year in Milan where he reached the break with 4 goals. A super scorer, Giroud is also a formidable passer since he has distributed 6 assists this season.
Giroud wants to play overtime in Milan
Involved in 15 goals for his team this season, the native of Chambéry continues to bring his efficiency, his sense of goal, his aerial play and his great experience to the Rossoneri. Third in Serie A at the break, the Lombard club is counting on it to finish this 2023-24 season in style. Then it will be time to think about your future. Indeed, Olivier Giroud has ticked the date of July 1, 2024. An important day since he will be free if he has not signed a new contract with the Milanese by then. Questioned at the end of November by The Sunday Journalnumber 9 spoke about his future and his desires.
“I would like to stay. My contract expires next June, but I haven’t spoken to the club yet. I want to continue and I think I have what it takes to do so. I can still be useful to this team. I was already a fan of the great Milan in the 2000s. For me, it was a blessing to join this club. I would like to stay. I want to earn the second star.” Despite this, discussions around a contract extension have still not started, as explained on Friday by the Gazzetta dello Sport. The Italian club, which already has several younger attackers in its sights like Jonathan David (LOSC), obviously wants to take its time on this issue and not make a mistake.
No. 9 explores all options
Giroud, who will be 38 on September 30, doesn’t seem to be in a hurry either. According to our information, the 2018 world champion, who can still provide services to the Lombards and who would not be so easy to replace, is taking the time to think about his future. The player and his entourage study all the options and all the worlds, which concern football and life in general. Especially since his family is very happy in Milan and Italy. But “everything is possible” were we told about the Frenchman, for whom “there is nothing concrete yet”. Staying with the Rossoneri or leaving, everything is still possible for the striker, who is already arousing certain interest.
There Gazzetta dello Sport notably mentioned an approach to Major League Soccer for Giroud, whose salary would be 3.5 million per year. It’s no secret either, Saudi Arabia has already come knocking on its door. But the player born in 86 did not give in to the advances of the SPL. There is no doubt that some teams will try their luck, particularly in France. In the meantime, Olivier Giroud is still an AC Milan player. This, at least until June 30. A month during which he will have other fish to fry with the Blues, who will face Austria (June 17), the Netherlands (June 21) and the winner of Path A of the play-offs, Poland, the Country of Wales, Finland or Estonia (June 25). Capital meetings for Giroud in 2024!
