Olivier Giroud could have ended up joining AC Milan earlier than he did, as the Rossoneri management wanted him before the most recent summer window.
Gianluca Di Marzio reveals that Milan wanted Giroud for some time and the deal finally materialised over the summer as he arrived from Chelsea. The first contacts between Milan and Chelsea happened in April and May, and at that point Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara presumed they could sign him for free.
However, Chelsea’s managing director Marina Granovskaia surprised everyone by using a unilateral clause to extend the Frenchman’s contract for another season. Milan and the agents and intermediaries involved in the negotiation were shocked by the news, but Milan really wanted the player and so they carried on talking with Chelsea.
It was the IntProFoot agency with Luca Antonini, Giampaolo Marchegiani and Vincenzo Morabito that helped the deal to become unlocked. An agreement between the teams was closed at €1m immediately plus bonuses in the event of Milan’s qualification for the next Champions League.
Milan actually thought about signing Giroud in January 2020 when Inter, Lazio and Juventus also made enquiries. The return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic meant that no concrete attempt was made, but Giroud was already on Paolo Maldini’s list, and now he has four goals in six league games.
READ MORE: From doubts to certainties – numbers show Tonali’s importance with two targets in mind
