Tammy Abraham could be set to leave Chelsea in the summer while veteran French striker Olivier Giroud may yet extend his current deal.
Giroud had been expected to leave the club last summer after the emergence of Abraham as a first-team player, but the coronavirus meant that he stayed on for another year at Stamford Bridge.
Abraham’s role has been reduced in the 2020/21 season but Giroud remains a vital part of the squad despite the arrival of Timo Werner. Thomas Tuchel has continued to use Giroud as Frank Lampard did, and he scored the winner last night for Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League first leg match in Bucharest.
Giroud’s continued good form means that Chelsea are considering offering the 34-year-old French international striker an extension to his deal, with other clubs interested in taking the player on a free transfer, reports The Athletic.
However, the club continue to target Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Halaand, which could influence Abraham’s decision to reject a new deal, with his current contract running for two more seasons.
Abraham has scored 12 goals this season but Tuchel appears to prefer Giroud and Werner for now, and Haaland would likely be picked ahead of any other striker should he arrive after he continued his brilliant goalscoring form in the Bundesliga.
Chelsea may elect to sell Abraham in the summer rather than lose him on a free next year.