While speaking exclusively with Football FanCast's Tom Ward, Carlton Palmer has urged West Ham United to sign Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud in the upcoming January transfer window.

The Irons have been linked with a move for the outcast Frenchman recently, but are said to trail Inter Milan in the emerging race with the Serie A giants believed to be ahead of a clutch of sides including Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Miami and Paris Saint-Germain.

Giroud has often found himself frozen out of the starting line-up at Stamford Bridge this term, as his start in Wednesday night’s Champions League victory over Sevilla was only his second inclusion in one of Frank Lampard’s opening squads across all competitions this term.

Giroud lit up the stage against Sevilla with a game-winning haul of four goals, taking his tally for the season to six in 10 games despite playing just 273 minutes to date.

Adding four to his UEFA account at Sevilla on Wednesday also moved the £110,000-per-week ace into third-place on the leaderboard for goals scored in the Champions League since the start of the 2018/19 campaign, with only Robert Lewandowski (26) and Lionel Messi (18) netting more often (16).

Palmer believes Giroud will have his pick of clubs in the winter market should he leave Chelsea, after the forward suggested he may have to quit the south west London side amid concerns his outcast status will impact his hopes of representing France in the postponed Euro 2020.

“I think I know if he was available a whole host of clubs would sign him,” Palmer told Football FanCast. “I think Lampard has gone on record as saying that he wants him to stay and that he’ll get game time.

“He’s a terrific player, a terrific hold-up player. He doesn't get the [amount of goals], obviously does for France [but he doesn’t] get the volume of goals for Chelsea. But his link-up play, his hold-up play is bringing other people into the game, his teamwork is phenomenal. So yeah, of course, if West Ham could get him he'd be an absolutely fantastic signing.”

Blues boss Lampard was full of praise for what Giroud brings to the table after his game-winning haul at Sevilla on Wednesday night, featuring a perfect hat-trick, telling reporters how the 34-year-old made a strong case for starting at Leeds United on Saturday.

“It’s not just his performance but when you play him and utilise his strengths and his speed, there’s a real balance in the rest of the team,” Lampard said, via quotes by TEAMtalk. “[It was an] amazing solo performance from Olivier.

“Olivier is reliable, full stop. Not just for us but his international goals for France, he’s up there with great French individuals.”

Lampard’s praise and chance to start in the Champions League may be too little too late to save him from losing Giroud, who has played just 47 minutes in the Premier League thus far this season over five cameo outings.

Giroud’s situation has alarmed France boss Didier Deschamps, who hinted the striker may need to leave Stamford Bridge in the winter or risk missing out on a place in his Euro 2020 squad.

"The situation is not good for him,” Deschamps claimed, via quotes by Goal. “It is for him to see, he will decide. But in terms of the France team, psychologically and physically for him, he has every interest in having playing time. I hope that by January he will have more playing time.”

And in other news, David Moyes must solve a £19m West Ham star’s alarming issue ahead of facing Manchester United.