He is the man Chelsea aren't sure if they want but he continues to prove he is what they need.
Olivier Giroud has perennially been linked with an exit from Stamford Bridge since moving across London from Arsenal in January 2018 but he continues to bounce back to prove his worth.
There is no finer example than last January when Giroud seemed certain to leave Chelsea due to a lack of game-time under Frank Lampard, after the emergence of young England international Tammy Abraham.
Newcastle were desperate for a new forward and Steve Bruce made enquiries to the Blues over a potential loan move to the Magpies.
Giroud was keen to preserve his place in France's European Championships squad but he was unsure whether a move to the North East was the right thing to do at that stage of his career.
He also had interest from higher profile European clubs like Inter Milan but in the end a move away from Chelsea never materialised.
"There was definitely a point that January that a move away for Giroud appeared on the cards, although it was likely he'd go to Inter Milan rather than Newcastle United," Adam Newson, Chelsea correspondent at Football.London, said of Giroud's situation last year.
"The deal didn't get done, though, and that proved important for Chelsea and Lampard. Giroud was brought back into the team in February and he scored crucial goals to help Chelsea finish in the top four last season."
As mentioned, Giroud then managed to force his way back into Lampard's plans and his eight Premier League goals in the second half of last season helped Chelsea secure a top-four finish and Champions League football in the 2020/21 season.
Despite proving his worth, though, Giroud then found himself further down the pecking order following the arrival of RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner last summer.
But after the German international struggled in front of goal and was moved out wide, both Giroud and Abraham have been given more opportunities and both have scored their fair share of goals.
Lampard has since been sacked and replaced by Thomas Tuchel and with Giroud, 34, out of contract at the end of the season, his future at the club remains unclear.
"The arrival of Timo Werner in the summer pushed the World Cup winner back down the pecking order," Newson added.
"But he has again proved his worth when given opportunities this season: Giroud has scored nine goals, finding the back of the net every 94 minutes in all competitions.
"He is out of contract in the summer and I wouldn't be surprised if he moves on in search of regular first-team football.
"He's already said he feels he has two or three more seasons at the top level and will want to prove that."
Whether or not Giroud lines up against Newcastle remains to be seen. Similarly, whether he remains at Chelsea beyond this season is up for debate.
But as he has proven time and again, you can write him off at your own peril.
