Why re-signing Olivier Giroud would make sense for Arsenal
In an interview with Genting Bet (h/t Metro), Former Premier League striker Louis Saha urged Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to sign Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud in the summer.
Profile
Olivier Giroud was born in September 1986 and signed his first professional contract at French side Grenoble at the age of 21. A loan to third-division French side Istres in 2007 impressed Ligue 2 club Tours, who signed the Frenchman in 2008.
Giroud’s big break came when Ligue 1 side Montpellier bought him in 2010 after the French striker scored 36 times for Tours in 67 games. His 21 league goals fired the club to a historic league tile in 2011/12 and gained the attention of the footballing world.
Arsene Wenger brought the striker to Arsenal in 2012 where he went on to have a successful 5 and a half years. The striker was then signed by rivals Chelsea in January 2018, where he currently plays. (h/t transfermarkt)
Giroud is a proven goalscorer at Arsenal
Setting aside his remarkable statistics elsewhere, Giroud has proven to be a magnificent goal-scorer at Arsenal. He scored 105 goals in his five and a half seasons at the Gunners, averaging a goal every 153 minutes.
The striker was also crucial in the 3 FA Cups and 3 Community Shields that Arsenal won while he was a player. He also scored 10+ goals in all of the 5 full seasons he spent at the club. There is no doubting his pedigree.
He has over 100 caps for the French national team, with whom he won the World Cup in 2018. Apart from that, he has been crucial for Chelsea despite being a substitute most of the times.
His 4 goals for Chelsea against Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League in December show that he can still perform at the very top level despite being 34 years old. Truth be told, Arsenal could use that type of goal injection this season.
Statistics don’t lie
Despite having world-class strikers such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, the Gunners have scored just twice in their last 8 league matches. They have scored the least amount of goals in the league amongst those not in the relegation zone.
Compared to this, Giroud has 7 goals already this season, averaging a goal every 52 minutes. This is astonishing considering he is only a benchwarmer at Chelsea. Giroud also has 44 goals for the French national team.
Giroud has proved that age is just a number in football. With Giroud not getting enough minutes at Chelsea and Arsenal in dire need of goals, this looks like a good match.
The upcoming UEFA European championship in the summer could also influence Giroud’s decision. He has repeatedly made it clear that he needs more minutes to be France’s main man in the summer.
Arsenal would be wise to use this angle if they do go for the Frenchman in the January transfer window. Giroud clearly looks like he can play at the top level for a couple of years more and can be a great short-term solution for a goal-shy Arsenal side.
