Olivier Giroud in talks with Marseille over sensational Chelsea exit
French side turning to 31-year-old World Cup winner just six months after he joined Chelsea, having grown tired of negotiations with Nice over Mario Balotelli
OLIVIER GIROUD could be on his way out of Chelsea after just six months at Stamford Bridge, according to reports.
The striker, 31, won the World Cup this summer with France and could be sold to Marseille to fund a move for Juventus' Gonzalo Higuain.
Marseille have grown tired of negotiations with Nice over a potential deal for former Liverpool and Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, according to .
And now they have turned their attentions to Giroud, who failed to have shot on target in 546 minutes of action in Russia.
But his contribution to France's second World Cup triumph was a wider one, and Marseille want him to join a frontline that includes former Premier League men Dimitri Payet and Florian Thauvin.
Giroud signed from Arsenal in January to relieve some of the burden from record-signing Alvaro Morata, who struggled after Christmas following a £60million move from Real Madrid.
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But with Chelsea now chasing Higuain in a potential £53m deal, Giroud appears to have been deemed surplus to requirements.
Atletico Madrid were also linked with a move for Giroud, but were reportedly after a loan move which Chelsea would not be interested in.
They would need quick cash to go after both Higuain and team-mate Daniele Rugani, who could both be flogged by Juventus.
The Italian champions are linked with a world-record £200m offer for Manchester United's Paul Pogba, hoping to bring him back to the club he spent four years with and pair him with Cristiano Ronaldo.
