Chelsea have no intentions of letting go of France international Olivier Giroud during the January transfer window, despite continued interest from Italian giants Inter Milan.

The striker, who has notched nine goals in 15 appearances this season, has been closely linked with a move to the San Siro for several months, as Inter chief Antonio Conte eyes a reunion with the former Arsenal man.

However, according to Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea will block any offers that come their way for Giroud, whether they be from Inter or elsewhere, with the striker having worked his way back into Frank Lampard's plans.

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It was not all that long ago that Giroud's Chelsea career seemed dead and buried, with the Frenchman struggling to get ahead of summer signing Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham in the pecking order. At that point, Giroud was being urged to leave Stamford Bridge by France boss Didier Deschamps, with the former Blues midfielder telling Giroud that it was the only way to give himself a fighting chance of making France's squad for the upcoming European Championships.

Deschamps, speaking back in November, said: "He knows it, what he is going through now cannot continue. For March, he will have to find a solution that is different to the one he is in now."

Since then, Giroud has cemented himself in Lampard's plans, with a four-goal haul against Sevilla in the Champions League proving to be the catalyst. As well as that, Giroud has had to prove his worth in front of goal, with Werner currently on a run of 11 matches without hitting the back of the net.

Although Chelsea have made it clear that they have no intentions of allowing Giroud to leave in January, Lampard, who will be desperate to see his side seal a return to winning ways when they face Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, should the game go ahead as currently planned, is still keen on adding a new face to his forward line.

According to Sky Sports Italia's Angelo Mangiante, Chelsea have prioritised a January move for Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland, despite having only splashed out big-money on Werner to bolster their attacking options back in June.

During the summer, the Blues, who have won just one of their last five matches, were the Premier League's headline spenders, splashing out more than £220million on seven new additions, as they aimed to turn themselves back into genuine title contenders.

Though the Blues have reached the summit on a couple of occasions this season, they still appear to be short in one or two areas of mounting a sustained assault on the top of the table, meaning they could continue their spending spree in January.

As well as being keen on West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, who has been a long-term target of the Blues', Haaland, according to reports, is Chelsea's top priority, although they know any deal for the Norway international would not come cheaply.

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Lampard is a massive fan of the youngster and has told the Chelsea board that he is eager to add him to his armoury.

But as well as the Blues knowing that a deal for Haaland, who has scored 17 goals in 14 appearances this season, would not come cheaply, they also know that they would face some stiff competition for his services.

The 20-year-old is considered as one of the world's most exciting talents, meaning the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are all keen on landing him.