Olivier Giroud extending his stay with AC Milan beyond the current season is not a formality, as the striker has asked for time to decide his future.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall how Giroud renewed for another year back in April, earning a €3.5m net per season salary, and while he remains the starting striker for Milan some perspective is needed.
Giroud is 37 now and wants to wait until the Spring to see how his body will react, if Milan will be in the Champions League in 2024-25 and if he will be in the right condition to play two games a week. Above all, he will consult Jennifer, Evan, Aaron, Jade and Aria, his wife and children who feel comfortable in Milan at the moment.
In short, it is too early to understand what he will do. Milan have not yet made an offer to Giroud for an extension, but in the meantime there are clubs in Major League Soccer that are taking a keen interest in signing him.
Over the years, Giroud has had offers from Europe, the States, even a huge proposal from Saudi Arabia which he rejected to stay with Milan, a team he has loved since he was a child, with whom he was happy to sign in 2021.
The MLS is worth keeping an eye on more than the others. The Rossoneri No.9 already has an eye on the future. In November, in Le Journal de la Dimanche, he said: “Will I be a coach? I do not believe so. I would like to be a sporting director.”
The United States could be a good springboard: a different sporting universe, with rules far from the European world, very developed commercially, less sportingly.
If he could stay for another year in a reserve capacity that would be great
Don’t think Giroud is suited for MLS. He needs service to score goals. Quality service in MLS isn’t there. Sure he will get goals but just don’t think that league suits his play style.
??? When has Milan themselves had “quality service”.
Milan literally just had Saelemakers, Messias, Castillejo and Rebic as our “quality service providers” the past few years.
Before this year, I’d reckon most MLS teams had a better quality service than Milan.
Before this year, my car tires had better quality service than Milan.
Don’t even get me started on Milan set pieces “service quality”. No, the MLS is far ahead of Milan on that too.