Olivier Giroud is keen on a shock move to Tottenham but fears Chelsea could block a deal with their London rivals.

Spurs and the Blues are both desperate to sign a striker, but time is running out before Friday’s 11pm deadline.

Harry Kane’s absence until at least April following hamstring surgery has pushed Tottenham into the transfer market, with Giroud emerging as a surprise option as he enters the final six months of his Stamford Bridge contract.

Chelsea, however, are reluctant to allow the Frenchman to leave without finding a replacement and their ongoing struggles in doing so have left the 33-year-old in limbo.

Inter Milan are thought to have agreed a deal in principle with Giroud, with the Blues willing to accept around £5million, but the situation has dragged on and Inter’s interest is thought to have waned, with reports in Italy this morning claiming they would prefer now to wait until the summer.

That could present an opportunity for Spurs, who are believed to have indicated they will offer an 18-month deal.

Giroud is seeking regular first-team football to ensure he retains his place in the France squad at Euro 2020 and it is understood he has no issue with any supporter backlash at moving to Tottenham from Chelsea, having also previously spent six years at Arsenal.

However, the Blues are reluctant to strengthen a direct rival for a top-four spot in the Premier League and are concerned at a lack of options if they are left to rely on Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi to lead the attack.

Chelsea are keen on signing Moussa Dembele from Lyon and Borussia ­Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, but neither player is available this month. Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani appears likely to join Atletico Madrid, while Dries Mertens has shown little willingness to leave Napoli.

First pictures | Steven Bergwijn signs for Tottenham | 29/01/2020 21 show all First pictures | Steven Bergwijn signs for Tottenham | 29/01/2020 1/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 2/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 3/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 4/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 5/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 6/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 7/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 8/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 9/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 10/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 11/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 12/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 13/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 14/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 15/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 16/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 17/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 18/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 19/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 20/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 21/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 1/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 2/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 3/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 4/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 5/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 6/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 7/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 8/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 9/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 10/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 11/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 12/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 13/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 14/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 15/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 16/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 17/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 18/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 19/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 20/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I 21/21 Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I

Tottenham and Chelsea have both been linked with AC Milan’s Krzysztof Piatek and Jose Mourinho is aiming to intensify that search after Spurs completed the signing of PSV Eindhoven winger Steven Bergwijn.