Everton striker Wayne Rooney has told talkSPORT that he is baffled that Olivier Giroud can’t get in the Arsenal team.
Rooney is convinced that the France international fits the bill for the Merseysiders after they failed in a concerted bid to sign him during the summer window.
The Premier League legend is also scratching his head that Giroud, 31, is down the pecking order at Emirates Stadium despite his consistent goal threat and ability to terrify opposition defences.
Asked about whether Everton should pursue Giroud, Rooney said in an interview with talkSPORT to be broadcast at 10am on Sunday: “I think we could do with another striker in.
“The one player for me who has to start is Olivier Giroud. He scores goals and every time he comes on he scores, he’s a handful and hard to play against.
“For me, if he starts games for Arsenal they are a better team.”
Giroud has started just one league match for the Gunners this season but has scored four goals in the competition as a substitute, and added a further three in the Europa League.
OPINION
Ronald Koeman might wonder if he would still be in a job at Everton had he succeeded in persuading Giroud to move to Everton during the summer. The Frenchman would have been a brilliant signing for the Merseysiders, who lack an authentic spearhead who can play with his back to goal and knows how to consistently find the back of the net. Giroud has an outstanding scoring record at Arsenal, where his 251 appearances have yielded 105 goals. He does not have the mobility of the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck, who have all been preferred in the centre-forward role by Arsene Wenger this season, but Giroud is a tough competitor with a wide skill set and Premier League defenders don’t like playing against him.