Olivier Giroud might have played his last game for Arsenal, with reports that Chelsea have agreed a £17.5 million deal to sign the French forward.
Chelsea and deadline-day deals have become synonymous with each other. And the Blues, who have already secured Emerson Palmieri on the eve of the transfer window deadline day, are set to bring in, finally, a forward to add to the squad. According to The Guardian, Chelsea have agreed a £17.5 million deal to sign Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud.
Olivier Giroud has seen his game time shrink at Arsenal, after the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette for a club-record fee in the summer. And, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang poised to join from Borussia Dortmund, the move to Chelsea would be in the Frenchman’s best interest.
Despite rumours of an impending move to Chelsea, Giroud came on as a substitute in Arsenal’s 3-1 loss to Swansea on Tuesday, a game which is likely to be his last game in Arsenal colours. Arsene Wenger touched upon the rumours of the Frenchman being on the move and applauded his professionalism to take the field despite being on the brink of exiting the club.
“It’s a tribute to Olivier, yes. He is a guy who gave great service to the club, he never let us down on the commitment front and he saved us many times. I have absolutely no doubt that when I ask him if he is ready to commit and he says yes, I have no problem with that. That is why I put him on, because it was needed and unfortunately he couldn’t help us.”
Olivier Giroud, who was with the Arsenal team in Swansea today, has left the team hotel to travel back to London to finalise his move to Chelsea. [@ChrisWheatley_] #afc pic.twitter.com/CUxq2BDXDu
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) January 30, 2018
Chelsea will be elated to finally being close to agreeing a deal to reinforce their attack, having faced failure in their pursuit of other targets like Edin Dzeko, Peter Crouch and Andy Carroll.
The fee quoted – £17.5 million – is also a very acceptable transfer amount, given the vast Premier League and international experience that Giroud brings along with him.
For Giroud, this should enable him to get regular minutes under his belt while also staying in London, his preferred location. As far as Arsenal go, this deal will reportedly unlock a three-way deal that will ultimately see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrive at Arsenal.
According to reports, Chelsea will allow Michy Batshuayi to join Dortmund as soon as Giroud’s deal is completed. The Belgian is expected to sign for Dortmund as a replacement for the departing Aubameyang.
Thus, this is a deal that could prove to be a win-win situation for all parties involved. Who, among Chelsea and Arsenal, comes out as the better side on the back of this deal though, remains to be seen.
