Wenger: Giroud ‘very determined’ to stay at Arsenal

Coquelin, Koscielny & Giroud: Commit to Arsenal

Olivier Giroud is “very determined” to stay at The Emirates this summer, according to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

The £52million arrival of Alexandre Lacazette has seen reports surface suggesting Giroud could be on the move.

The 30-year-old is expected to be pushed down the pecking order after the arrival of his international team-mate, but Wenger has always insisted he would like to keep the targetman

And now Wenger has revealed that Giroud, who has travelled with the squad to Australia,  is eager to stay and fight for his place at the club.

“We extended his (Giroud’s) contract last year,” said Wenger, on Arsenal’s pre-season tour in Sydney.

“Our resolution is clear. He’s been great value to the squad and I think he is a great lover of the club. He’s always been very determined to stay.

“It’s always the same problem – when you have one striker people ask ‘why don’t buy another?’ and when you have two or three they say they will be unhappy because there is too much competition. That’s part of the job.

“We are in a job where we are very lucky to do what we love but it is competitive job and that means the players have to accept competition and my decisions as well, unfortunately.”

Everton are understood to have targeted Giroud, but now look to have turned their attention to Christian Benteke, according to Sky Sports.

Turkish-Football also claimed that Besiktas were monitoring Giroud’s situation closely and prepared to offer a loan deal for the forward.