Giroud warns Wenger he’s ‘too good’ for Arsenal bench role

Olivier Giroud has told Arsene Wenger he won’t be content to spend long periods on the Arsenal bench again next season.

The France forward was in and out of Wenger’s side this season as the Gunners won the FA Cup, but finished a disappointing fifth in the Premier League and missed out on the Champions League.

While Giroud insists he intends to honour his Arsenal contract, he couldn’t rule out a move away if Wenger continued to use him sparingly.

“I still have two or even three years on my contract with Arsenal,” Giroud told a press conference ahead of France’s World Cup qualifier against Sweden on Friday.

“My future is there, I feel good about it. I want to win the Premier League with the club. After, I do not know the future, it will be necessary to take into account the transfer window.

“I have had limited playing time for several reasons but that is not to say that I lost the confidence of the coach.”

When asked if he was too good and too old to spend time on the Arsenal bench, he continued: “I will not be content with limited playing time next season.

“It [a transfer] will be a well-thought out decision. But, yes, I want more playing time.”

Giroud, 30, only signed a new contract with Arsenal back in January, but has been linked with a move to Ligue 1 giants Marseille.