By the start of next season, it looks like Arsenal will need at least one new striker – but could former player Olivier Giroud be a perfect solution?
In the winter transfer market, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left the club by mutual consent to go and play for Barcelona. By June 2022, other forwards Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah will both see their contracts expire.
Essentially, this would leave the inexperienced entre-forward at the club. With that in mind, Arsenal probably need to sign two new strikers in the summer.
Of course, the Gunners may be expected to go and splash the cash on one exciting main man – the likes of Alexander Isak and Dominic Calvert-Lewin seem to be expensive but realistic targets.
However, this may mean Mikel Arteta can’t go and spend a huge amount of money on the much-needed alternative option for the squad. This is where Giroud could be a perfect fit.
So what are the reasons it could work out?
Firstly, his contract will only have one year left on it by that stage, and having moved to Milan for under £1m (via Transfermarkt), Giroud could come in at a far lower cost compared to the £15.3m fee Arsenal sold him for in 2018.
Secondly, he is still scoring on a regular basis. Indeed, at Milan this season, he has 10 goals and two assists in 23 appearances across all competitions. More specifically, in just 964 minutes of game time in Serie A, he has scored seven times – averaging a goal about every 138 minutes.
Would you take Olivier Giroud back at Arsenal?
Yes
No
Finally, his past experience in the Premier League with both Arsenal and Chelsea means that he would probably take no time at all in readjusting to English football.
At 35 years of age now, you could be forgiven for thinking the Frenchman may be past his best. But clearly, he still has plenty to offer. What’s more, at this stage of his career, he wouldn’t have to start regularly, meaning he could provide a ready-made alternative to a younger striker such as Isak or Calvert-Lewin and take some of the pressure of them while they get used to playing for the Gunners.
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