Arsenal fans already had to deal with the pain of seeing Alexis Sanchez, a key player at the Emirates, leave for a direct rival: Man United. Now, rumors claim Olivier Giroud could do the same to join the competition.
According to the Times, the Frenchman has emerged as a target for Chelsea, the Gunners’ opponent from west London. Conte’s search for a strong center-forward is no secret, as his side has been linked with the likes of Andy Carrol and Peter Crouch in what has been a crazy January transfer window.
Edin Dzeko appears to be the favorite to join the Blues, but the defending Premier League champion has identified Giroud as a key candidate. This would be an interesting move for Giroud, but there are drawbacks to match the positives.
Firstly, the powerful striker is keen on an exit as he needs more games to ensure his spot in France’s World Cup squad. Deschamps is spoilt with attacking options and could leave out the 31-year-old if his competitiveness and fitness drops. Furthermore, moving to Stamford Bridge would offer the attacker Champions League football which would be an upgrade on the Europa League.
However, moving to Chelsea won’t necessarily translate to more playing time. Alvaro Morata has been underperforming as of late, but the Spaniard would likely be the first-choice striker upon a return to form.
And what would this mean for Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang move? It would probably spell disaster, as Dortmund is already upset by the Gunners’ hesitance to meet their asking price.
The Bundesliga club is eager to land Giroud as part of a deal that would see the Gabonese ace head in the opposite direction, but remove the Frenchman out of the picture and BVB might be reluctant to do business. Finding a replacement for Aubameyang in January would be difficult, hence the German side’s interest in the former Montpellier hitman.
Wenger’s crew takes on Swansea in the Premier League in their next game. Rumors had been circulating that the Aubameyang deal would be completed in time for him to make the Liberty Stadium trip, but things have now gotten more complicated.
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