According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, West Ham are interested in a January move for Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud. The France international made the move to Stamford Bridge back in the winter window earlier this year after six years at Premier League rivals Arsenal, yet he has since struggled for regular football with the Blues to thus call into question his future at the club.

And reports suggest that Manuel Pellegrini’s Hammers are keen on the striker in a bid to boost their ranks in the final third of the pitch, yet the East London club should forget about a move for Giroud, as there is only one Chelsea star they must try and sign in January, namely Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Chelsea were on the lookout for attacking reinforcements last season following the departure of Diego Costa last summer, and while they replaced him during that window with fellow Spaniard Alvaro Morata, he didn’t produce the goods on a regular enough basis in the first half of the season.

And that prompted former boss Antonio Conte to make a move for Giroud, yet he has also struggled in recent times with just three Premier League goals for the club in 20 appearances.

Significantly though, Pellegrini’s Hammers look pretty set in the striking ranks given Marko Arnautovic’s move to a more central position last season, with the Austria international certainly proving his worth to the club with four goals in seven games this term, adding to the 11 he netted in all competitions last time round.

And with the likes of Javier Hernandez, Lucas Perez, and Andy Carroll also on the books, alongside the forward options of Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko, and Michail Antonio, Pellegrini is certainly not short of attacking talent in that area of the pitch.

Further back though is a slightly different story, which is why a move for Loftus-Cheek during the January window would make a lot of sense.

The England international enjoyed a great season on loan at Crystal Palace last term to thus earn a spot in Gareth Southgate’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, but he hasn’t been able to regularly convince Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri of his capabilities, given he has mustered just three appearances in all competitions this season.

Yet he could make a big difference at West Ham given the somewhat lack of genuine options for Pellegrini in that area of the field, what with Manuel Lanzini struggling with injury and Jack Wilshere’s own injury issues rearing their head again, while the likes of Pedro Obiang, Mark Noble, and Declan Rice are slightly more defensive-minded than the 22-year-old Englishman.

And were he to show a similar level of performance for the Hammers as he did for Palace, in which he scored twice and laid on five assists in 25 appearances, he could prove to be a huge asset to Pellegrini’s side in the middle of the park in helping to control matches and create opportunities.

Thus, the East London outfit should forget about a move for striker Giroud, as they would reap the rewards more from luring Chelsea teammate Loftus-Cheek across the capital.

West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!