Lampard: Giroud staying at Chelsea, no deal for Mertens
Chelsea won't be making any last-minute moves in the January transfer window.
Manager Frank Lampard addressed the media Friday, and was asked about the Blues' search for an attacker, which has seen them linked most prominently to Napoli forward Dries Mertens.
"No," Lampard said when asked directly about the possibility of signing the diminutive Belgian.
"The window is 95% shut for us. The answer is probably no for the players you would ask about."
The Blues were reportedly working to sign Mertens as late as Thursday evening, with a €7-million offer rejected by Napoli chief Aurelio De Laurentiis. It appears Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia, who led the pursuit of the 32-year-old, didn't submit an improved bid.
As a result of the club's inability to procure a replacement, Lampard confirmed that Frenchman Olivier Giroud will remain at Stamford Bridge.
"He has been incredible as a player and a man during this time. Will he leave? No. He trained today. No ins and no outs," the manager said.
Giroud, who has been the subject of January interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan, and Lazio, was keen to find a club that would afford him playing time ahead of Euro 2020 this summer.
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