It is looking more and more like Olivier Giroud will not remain at AC Milan beyond the end of the season and that has forced the management to look into potential replacements, a report claims.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) this morning, Giroud is tempted to take his wife Jade and his children Aria, Aaron and Evan to the United States, and not on holiday.
The striker’s contract with Milan will expire at the end of the season and he has been gradually making his decision in recent weeks. The final choice will be made later, probably in May, but his priority is to try the MLS.
The chances of Giroud moving in the summer are increasing and talks between the 37-year-old and the United States have intensified.
The possible paths
The two alternative paths – another season at Milan or another European experience – remain possible but decidedly subordinate to the main one. A negotiation is underway and by mid-March the list of possible destinations can already be greatly narrowed down.
Basically, to the franchises of two cities: New York and Los Angeles. That is where Giroud imagines his future, and he spoke about it openly in January: “At the end of the season more opportunities will open up and I will make my decision. As a footballer and as a family man.”
The key is those two words: family man. Giroud got a lot from football and he gave a lot to football. His stats, at 37 years old, are of a top level: he has already scored 12 goals in Serie A season, plus one in the Champions League and one in the Europa League.
If he celebrated another goal in Verona this afternoon, he would equal his best Milan season and increase his chances of reaching 20 goals for the campaign, a feat he hasn’t achieved since 2016.
The choice, though, will not depend on the stimuli of the field or on a drop in performance, but on family priorities. The United States can open a new dimension for the future of Giroud, who has not hidden that he sees himself as a director in the future.
The replacement(s)
In this situation, Milan are spectators. They can propose a renewal to Giroud but they know that, this time, the choice will not be technical or economic. Regardless, then, the management thus have to look around.
They can unilaterally renew Luka Jovic’s contract and already knows that a new No.9 will be the big investment of the summer. Milan is looking for a young centre-forward with great qualities and potential.
Two names top the list: Joshua Zirkzee and Benjamin Sesko. Zirkzee is more technical, more creative, more particular, certainly not a classic striker. Sesko is more physical, attacks space in behind and is a predator inside the penalty area.
Both are expensive and have complex situations. For Sesko, Milan need to talk to Leipzig, who certainly won’t sell him cheaply. For Zirkzee there is a complex combination with Bologna and Bayern Munich, who have the possibility of signing him back for €40m.
Santiago Gimenez of Feyenoord, Jonathan David of Lille and Viktor Gyökeres of Sporting Lisbon are alternative candidates, all popular for one reason or another, but David’s resurgence (21 goals this season) means he won’t be cheap either.
