Olivier Giroud admits he is ‘very frustrated’ at playing the ‘second role’ at Chelsea.
The French forward has fallen behind January signing Gonzalo Higuain in the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, making just seven league starts for Maurizio Sarri’s side this season.
The 32-year-old has scored regularly during the club’s Europa League campaign, where he is the tournament’s top scorer, and is likely to start ahead of Chelsea‘s quarter-final second leg with Slavia Prague on Thursday night.
The former Arsenal forward is out of contract at Chelsea this summer, though the club do have an option to extend, but Giroud has made it clear he is unwilling to spend the majority of next season on the bench.
‘I really want to play more. I’m not happy to play the second role,” Giroud told Chelsea’s official website.
”That’s why I said next year I will need to have a more important role to play in the team.
‘I have had offers from other clubs, but I cannot tell you [who]. My priority is Chelsea. With what I have achieved here, there is no reason they are not going to give one more year, but I want to be happy also.
‘The most important thing for me is to enjoy the game, be happy on the pitch and to have more minutes. I am a competitor. Trust me, I am very frustrated when I’m not on the pitch, but I don’t want to show it.
‘When you are a competitor and you have been through difficulties through your career, you need to keep that frustration for you and transform it into positive energy on the pitch.’