France international Olivier Giroud is pleased to have settled alongside his Chelsea teammates following his move from Arsenal midway through the season. The 31-year-old had a disappointing night as the Blues bowed of the Champions League to Barcelona, but the Frenchman was content to have made a reasonable impact with the west London outfit.

Speaking after the Barcelona game, he said: “I am settling in quite well. I am very pleased with my understanding with the boys. It’s not easy to join a new club in the winter but I am trying to adapt as quick as I can. There is always room for improvement but I am happy with what I am doing on the pitch.”Giroud has struggled to find the cutting edge in his play in the final third, which has hampered his scoring opportunities, and when asked whether the Blues may have to wait until next season for his best, he replied: “No, no, I want to be at my best level now.”

Giroud has found himself ahead of Alvaro Morata on several occasions since his winter switch and that in itself could be regarded as a positive for the Frenchman, who was more of a super-sub during his final years at Arsenal. Morata is likely to find form at some stage before the end of the season, but Giroud will still be hoping for a regular role to keep him prepared for the World Cup finals in Russia.

The experienced campaigner has been one of the ever-presents for France since Karim Benzema’s exile, and he has his eyes set on the global tournament in June, where he could lead a two-man attack alongside Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman does not possess raw pace unlike his compatriot, but his hold-up and link-up play has often made him a valuable addition to Les Bleus’ line-up.