INTER MILAN hope to land Olivier Giroud by this weekend after offering Chelsea £3.8m plus bonuses for the France striker.
Giroud, 33, is tipped to sign a two-and-a-half year contract with the second-placed Serie a side, managed by his ex-Blues boss Antonio Conte.
Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is reportedly just days away from completing a move to Inter MilanCredit: AP:Associated Press
Chelsea initially wanted around £8m but Sky Sports Italy suggest Inter have finally got their way over a reduced fee.
Former Arsenal frontman Giroud, who was also linked to Newcastle and West Ham, is keen to find regular football after just three starts for Chelsea this season.
And he would surely slip further down the pecking order once Stamford Bridge chief Frank Lampard splashes out this month, after the Blues’ transfer ban was halved to one window.
Lampard wants to lighten the load on impressive youngsters like England hitman Tammy Abraham in their breakthrough campaign.
Conte, meanwhile, is hunting proven firepower to back up in-form Romelu Lukaku and Argentina’s Latauro Martinez.
And apart from Giroud, the Italian is also targeting Premier League big names to strengthen the rest of his squad.
Manchester United wing-back Ashley Young, 34, whose contract runs out next summer, has long topped the list for Conte’s probable recruits.
But Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen is reportedly now another prime target, despite interest from United.
La Gazzetta dello Sport even claim the Denmark ace, 27, has agreed a deal until 2024 worth £6.5million a year.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk