Olivier Giroud is open to a move to Tottenham Hotspur this window, with the club offering him a 1.5-year contract, but Chelsea are blocking it as things stand.

Di Marzio reported a few days ago that Tottenham Hotspur offered Olivier Giroud a 1.5-year contract this month. They suggested a deal was still possible in the final days of the season.

David Ornstein is now reporting something similar. He says Chelsea are blocking the move until they have a replacement, but they’ll allow Giroud to leave if they get one. As for the player himself, he’s ‘open to all offers’, including Arsenal’s North London rivals.

It’s fair to say most of us knew Giroud values his own career progress over club loyalty, but this certainly confirms it. Some will say it’s fair enough, and maybe if we were in the same position we’d do the same.

That’s probably true, but I’m a petty Arsenal fan. Give me Lukas Podolski’s statement that he’d rather retire than join Spurs any day.

@whosuspendedme Retire.

— Lukas-Podolski.com (@Podolski10) January 15, 2014

If Giroud joins Spurs, he loses any remaining goodwill he had with me. Even making himself available to them is bad enough. Feel free to be more mature about it if that’s what makes you happy.