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Cape Town - France boss Didier Deschamps has urged striker Olivier Giroud to part ways with Chelsea and find regular playing time somewhere else.
Giroud has struggled to hold down a regular starting berth since arriving at Chelsea from Premier League rivals Arsenal in January 2018, but he did feature regularly from the bench during his first 18 months at Stamford Bridge.
However, the emergence of Tammy Abraham and new boss Frank Lampard's preference to rely on youth has limited Giroud's involvement further. As a result, he has been seen just twice in the league since the opening month of this season and is yet to score a top-flight goal.
With Abraham and Michy Batshuayi ahead of him in the pecking order and the prospect of Chelsea adding further attacking reinforcements now their transfer ban has been lifted, it appears Giroud's time in West London is coming to an end.
Crystal Palace have been linked with making a move for the 33-year-old in January, as have European heavyweights Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan and now France boss Deschamps, who has kept the faith with the forward despite his lack of domestic game-time, has urged him to seek a transfer.
"His situation at Chelsea has not changed for two months," Deschamps was cited as saying by the Daily Mirror.
"It would be better for him, obviously, to go to a club where he will have more playing time. If he cannot have this playing time at Chelsea, the idea is to be able to have it elsewhere. It is up to him to decide the solution."
Despite calling for Giroud to seek a move, Deschamps insists he does not know what options are open to the former Montpellier ace, although he feels if his playing situation does not improve in the New Year then his place in France's Euro 2020 squad will come under threat.
"I don't know what offers he has, where it might be possible for him to get more playing time," Deschamps added. "We saw each other not so long ago. As with every player, he's the one who decides. But keep in mind that it's the daily life of players with their clubs that leads to France selection. He knows it."
