It seems people at Lazio have kept some hard feelings for having failed to sign Olivier Giroud from Chelsea a few years ago.
That attempt got back to being a headline in the Italian media today, as former Biancoceleste director of football Igli Tare was interviewed by Corriere Dello Sport.
The former Lazio chief was asked about a few transfers he worked on, and recalled that Chelsea ended up blocking Giroud’s move.
“He was ours, only that at the last minute Chelsea got in the way and didn’t let him go. I tried everything. It was just this the reason. Great guy, Olivier. That year we had a great attack with Immobile, Correa and Caicedo,” said Igli Tare.
Tare didn’t clearly say when Lazio tried to sign Giroud, but most rumours linking him and the club date back to 2020.
The Frenchman signed for Chelsea on a €17m transfer from Arsenal in January 2018. In his time with the Blues, he had 19 goals and 14 assists in 119 appearances.
It was in the summer of 2021 that the Stamford Bridge finally negotiated him with Italian football, and AC Milan only spent €2.85m to get him signed.
Things have been better for him with the Rossoneri, and just this season, he has eight goals and three assists in 15 games.
