AC Milan set to complete deal for Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud – with Italian Euro 2020 star a potential replacement

BY PAUL LAGAN

Olivier Giroud is expected to be announced as AC Milan’s new striker today.

The France World Cup winner had signed a new deal with the Blues in April but has now got the move he wanted last season.

It’s believed the two clubs have agreed a £1million fee for the hitman, who will be 35 in September.

He played 75 times for Chelsea, scoring 17 goals in his three-year stay at SW6.

While Erling Haaland remains Chelsea’s top striker target of the summer, they are typically in belt and braces mode too, making enquiries about the availability of Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann and Italian star Federico Chiesa – the former on a loan deal, the latter a potential £85m move from Juventus.

The Blues still have more players looking to move on and they will be looking to impress potential suitors in pre-season matches.

Many are expected to feature in a behind-closed-doors match against Peterborough United at the training ground at Cobham tomorrow.

Those first-teamers due a run out include Hakin Ziyech, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Marcus Alonso, and Christian Pulisic. Edouard Mendy and Kepa will get a few minutes in the match.

Returning loanees Danny Drinkwater, Ross Barkley and Davide Zappacosta are likely to feature too.

Those players involved in Euro 2020 and Copa America are still on holiday.

Chelsea will face Spurs at Stamford Bridge in a potental full house on Wednesday, August 4 as part of a three-team tournament also including Arsenal.

Some proceeds from ticket sales will go to the charity Mind, and the club’s foundation.

Chelsea Women are close to signing the sister of full-back Reece James.

Striker Lauren James, who joined Manchester United from Arsenal, is keen to return south.

But United, currently without a manager following the resignation of Casey Stoney in May, were playing hardball with Chelsea.

A deal valued around £200,000 is expected to be agreed within days, which will see James bolster a squad that already has top-class attackers in Sam Kerr, Fran Kirby, Pernile Harder and Erin Cuthbert.

Guro Reiten could be heading the other way as she seeks to get more game time. The Norway winger wasn’t part of the ‘untouchables’ during last season’s WSL title-winning campaign.

James is believed to have passed a medical at Cobham and is now discussing personal terms. She is keen to have assurances that she will feature in sufficient games for the Blues to help enhance her international prospects.