OGC Nice director Gilles Grimandi has admitted that the club are interested in bringing in Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud, and has held talks with manager Patrick Vieira about the possibility of signing the Frenchman.
Giroud is out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, although manager Maurizio Sarri has revealed that the club will trigger a one-year extension. The striker however has found playing time hard to come by under the Italian and may look for a summer move in order to play more minutes.
Giroud started his career in France before moving to Arsenal from Montpellier in 2012. He spent five and a half years at the Emirates before moving to Chelsea in January 2018. A move back to his home nation may appeal to the World Cup winner, and Nice could offer him the opportunity.
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"I know him very well. I know it by heart. I was involved in his coming from Montpellier to Arsenal," Grimandi told Canal+. "He will choose his destination. For now, I have not had it, we have not discussed, but he knows the means we have, if he decides to come, it's because there is a project that he please."
"It's impossible for anyone today. If he is not happy with Chelsea and he wants to play ... We have to take into account all the cases and study them. With Patrick Vieira, we talked about Olivier Giroud, but we did not talk with Olivier Giroud".
Vieira joined Nice as manager last summer and has lead the club to seventh place in Ligue 1 with two games of the season left to play.
Giroud has scored 17 times in 62 appearances over 18 months for the Blues, If he does move on from Chelsea this summer, his final game could be the Europa League final against Arsenal in Baku on 29th May.
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