Transfer Deadline Day is not only thrilling for fans and clubs but also a stressful time for players. It can lead to life-altering decisions, whether for ambition, necessity, or simply due to desperation. Olivier Giroud, who transferred from Arsenal to Chelsea on Deadline Day in 2018, shared his experience of coping with mixed emotions, the frustrations of limited playing time, and the personal factors affecting his decision to move, especially with his family considerations as a primary concern during this transitional time.
It is a really strange time for any player involved in late negotiations towards the end of a transfer window. It depends a lot of your situation: you could be wanted by another club but not want to move, you could want to move by ambition or for game time or for another reason, or you might be forced to move.
I was 31 and I didn't want to leave Arsenal, but I had to because I was not playing enough with the World Cup coming up at the end of the season. I couldn't continue like that; it was too frustrating.
I was disappointed to leave, but it was logical to give my career a new direction, so I was pushing for a transfer. I could have gone to Dortmund... but ideally, I didn't want to leave London.
My third child was born around that time too: my family was always going to stay in London and that was another reason why I ultimately decided to move to Chelsea.
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