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Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is on the verge of joining Inter Milan, sources have told ESPN, with a total package approaching £7 million close to being agreed.
Once the transfer of Matteo Politano from Inter to Roma is made official then Giroud’s move will be confirmed with negotiations between Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia and Inter sporting director Beppe Marotta going smoothly.
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The 33-year-old has already agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Inter which will keep him at the club until June 2022.
He will be reunited with Antonio Conte, who signed him for Chelsea from Arsenal in January 2018.
Conte needs a third striker with a different profile to Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez and Giroud was always his priority.
France international Giroud will be part of the rotation up front with Inter still in the Serie A title race as well as in the Coppa d’Italia quarterfinal and the Europa League round of 32.
Giroud had requested a move after hardly playing under Frank Lampard in the first half of the season.
He started only twice in the Premier League and made three appearances as a substitute for a total of 192 minutes while only playing 17 minutes in the Champions League.
After playing a major role in Chelsea’s Europa League-winning campaign last season under Maurizio Sarri, in which he scored 11 goals in 10 matches, Giroud needs to play more or risk being left out of France’s Euro 2020 squad by Didier Deschamps.