Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud will seek a move away from the club in January to keep his Euro 2020 dream alive if he is frozen out of the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge, sources have told ESPN.
France coach Didier Deschamps has told the 34-year-old "the situation he's in today cannot drag on forever" with Giroud having played just 33 minutes in the Premier League this season.
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The striker has started just one match in all competitions -- the EFL Cup fourth round defeat at Tottenhamon Sept. 29 -- after falling down the pecking order behind Tammy Abraham and summer signing Timo Werner.
Giroud almost left the club last January with Inter Milan and Tottenham among the interested clubs but chose to fight for his place, playing a key role in the run-in once the season resumed following lockdown, scoring seven goals in 12 appearances as Chelsea finished fourth in the League.
He signed a new one-year contract extension in May and although Lampard has repeatedly praised Giroud's professionalism amid a lack of game-time, the situation is close to reaching a head with Deschamps voicing concerns about his place in the France team next summer.
"Before March he will have to find another situation than this one," Deschamps told RTL. "He knows what I think, even if I don't forget everything he has done [for the national team] and everything he would still be able to do."
Giroud is expected to hold talks with Lampard in the coming weeks to clarify his future.
