France international Olivier Giroud has committed his future to Chelsea by penning a fresh one-year deal. The striker had previously spoken about the prospect of leaving the Blues amid the reduced gametime in the Premier League but he has made a surprise U-turn to extend his contract for another campaign.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “I feel very good at Chelsea, in the club. My family has settled well, myself also. We have a very good squad, a good understanding all together on and off the pitch. I really wanted to carry on and I think the club has given me its trust. It means they are happy with what I have achieved until now. I really want to do more and reward them for the trust they have given to me.”

Giroud has been a regular for the Blues during their Europa League campaign but the same has not been the case for the Premier League. The Frenchman played second fiddle to Alvaro Morata during the first half of the current season and the same remained the case during the backend where Morata’s replacement Gonzalo Higuain got the nod to feature upfront.

As such, the former Arsenal man had publicly voiced the concern through the French media but surprisingly, he has now penned an extension with the Blues. With the club under a ban for the next two transfer windows, Giroud can expect some gametime over the course of the forthcoming campaign and it remains to be seen whether he can make the jump to become the first-choice for the Premier League.

The Blues are currently assessing the future of Higuain whose loan contract expires during the summer but Giroud could still face competition with Tammy Abraham, Michy Batshuayi and Alvaro Morata due to return from their respective loan deals. Out of the trio, Morata appears the only one, who could seek a permanent move away from the club this summer.