Jose Mourinho is eyeing a summer raid of his former employers Chelsea, with Olivier Giroud once again at the forefront of his mind.
That’s via The Express who claims that Tottenham are still interested in signing the target man once the window opens later this year.
Spurs were deeply interested in the Frenchman back in January and he came close to signing for the Lilywhites. Ultimately, however, Frank Lampard was unwilling to sell him to a direct rival when they couldn't find a replacement.
That could be the case again this summer after Giroud signed a new £110k-a-week deal to keep him at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2021.
According to the report, he could be available for just £7m but the north London side aren’t the only suitor.
Inter Milan, Lazio, Lyon, Crystal Palace and West Ham are also interested parties.
GIVE ME SPORT’S Matt Dawson says...
It was rather typical that after weeks of trying to sign Giroud in January, he scored for Chelsea versus Spurs when they met at the back end of February.
It was always going to be in the script that he’d find the back of the net, especially for someone that used to play for Arsenal too.
Though, if Chelsea are willing to sell this time, £7m for such a player would be an absolute bargain.
Giroud may not be prolific – he has scored three times this term – but he is one of the best at what he does in the world. The way he holds up the ball and brings others into play is like few others in the modern game.
The 6 foot 4 striker was crucial to France’s system during their World Cup triumph of 2018, while Eden Hazard once described him as the best target man on the planet.
Few Spurs fans will need telling how such a player can impact their squad. Fernando Llorente played second fiddle to Harry Kane last term but came up with some crucial moments – not least scoring against Manchester City in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.
Giroud, therefore, would surely be a fine acquisition for Spurs. They definitely need a plan B to Harry Kane.