Olivier Giroud is destined for bigger and better things.
Nicknamed le buteur de charme (the charm striker), Giroud has all the attributes needed to be a prolific goal scorer for club and country. His aerial prowess and physical style of play makes him a great fit in any league across Europe. At the moment, those skills have Giroud dominating Ligue Un as the French top-flight’s leading scorer with 20 goals in 31 matches (all starts) for Montpellier.
Not only does Giroud contribute goals, he also provides assists (eight this season), tied for fourth overall and leading Montpellier in both scoring categories. Needless to say he’s a big reason why La Paillade are two points clear of Paris Saint-Germain and are closing in on being crowned French champions for the first time in their 48-year history.
A host of Europe’s elite clubs will be hoping to lure the striker away from the Stade de la Mosson after a breakthrough season, which could possibly be heightened by a stand-out performance with France at the Euros, assuming he is chosen. His stock continues to climb at a rapid pace, with a move abroad already a foregone conclusion, even though Montpellier has virtually clinched a Champions League birth for next season. The lure of a marquee club will be too good to pass up for the Frenchman, considered a late bloomer in football terms at 25 years of age, spending majority of his career in the lower divisions.
For five years, the French second and third tier was where Giroud developed his attacking prowess, starting out with Grenoble and making his senior debut in 2006 after scoring 15 goals in as many games with the reserves. But it was on loan with Istres where Giroud showed signs of being a big-game player, scoring 14 goals by the end of 2008. The potential was extremely visible; unfortunately Grenoble’s manager at the time deemed him surplus to requirements.
Tours FC can thank Mehmed Bazdarevic for that early assessment, as the Ligue 2 side benefitted tremendously from the Grenoble manager’s eagerness to sell his striker, and were rewarded with 36 goals in 63 appearances. Giroud won the scoring title (21 goals) and player of the year award in his final season with the club, and his dominance was quickly noticed, as heads started to turn. Montpellier swooped in with a two-million euro offer during the winter window of 2010, securing the transfer but loaning him back to his club for the remainder of the season.
Perseverance in a cut-throat business isn’t easy; player usually peak at 27, which leaves Giroud little time to make his mark after working his way up the ladder. More clubs should look to their own domestic pyramid for talent, instead of trying to poach from outside their borders. Giroud is a perfect example of that.
Giroud had a decent debut in the French top-flight, finishing with 12 goals and three assists in 39 matches with Montpellier in 2010-11. The most memorable was his extra-time winner in the Coupe de France that placed Montpellier in a major final for the first time since 1994. Unfortunately, it ended with a runners-up medal after losing 1-0 to Marseille.
French football is going through a transformation after two epic failures on the international stage, but through the ashes rises a new golden generation of players that could potentially return the luster lost in recent years. Giroud is part of a group born in 1987 that are peaking at the best possible time for les Bleus, and could quite possibly guide France into the later rounds of Euro 2012.
The striker has merited a seat on the plane to Ukraine, with his size and physicality an important commodity when looking at their group opponents. Giroud only debuted for the national team at the tail end of last year, coming off the bench in the first two friendlies against the United States and Belgium, before earning his first cap and goal for his country at the Weserstadion in Bremen against Germany.
Giroud’s league form this season has catapulted into focus; two hat-tricks, three match-winners and a probable scoring title will have that effect. Tottenham and Arsenal have been mentioned as huge admirers and definitely could use the help up front, with both clubs’ striking options coming into question for next season. Arsene Wenger may be able to use his French connections in an effort to lure the striker to the Emirates, and they are in a better position than their London rivals to offer Champions League football.
Liverpool would be another interesting option, as the Reds desperately need a natural poacher inside the box, and could offer the Frenchman a starting place in the side, something that is less certain with the Gunners. Considering the striker has deemed playing time most important in past decisions, a potential move to Anfield is a possibility if the money is right.
Winning the French league title would be the perfect send-off, and could make his sale a little easier to swallow by the club’s supporters. The transfer would command a hefty sum that could be re-invested into a squad which will need to be strengthened for their journey into Europe next season. Whatever the price might be, Montpellier is certain to make quite a handsome profit.
By summer’s end, Giroud could quite possibly own a Ligue Un championship medal to go along with a golden boot award, capping off a fantastic season in grand style. The prospect of earning another set with France at the European Championships would be all the more thrilling.
Thomas Michalakos is a former associate producer with Sportsnet’s Soccercentral and writes the weekly blog Soccerholic365. Follow Thomas on Twitter.