So, apparently, Marseille are interested in signing Olivier Giroud this summer and are willing to cough up £20million for the French striker.
Arsene Wenger has since issued a ‘hands off’ warning to the Ligue 1 club over the 30-year-old, who he wants to keep at the club next season despite playing a bit-part role for the majority of the season.
Wenger said:
‘I have had no approach from Marseille. We want to keep Giroud’
According to reports (via The Sun) Marseille want to add up to five new players this summer, with Laurent Koscielny also a possible target.
Giroud cut a frustrated fixture at the start of the season having lost his starting place to Alexis Sanchez and dropped to the bench. This led to the Frenchman questioning his future at the club over the January transfer window period but did eventually agree to sign a new deal, keeping him at Arsenal until 2019.
Giroud has popped up with some valuable goals for the Gunners this season, however, many do not view him as a first-team regular and not a striker to fire the club to domestic trophies. And with Wenger set for a rebuild, the potential for another striker coming in this summer seems highly likely as he has had to rely heavily on Sanchez providing the goals this season.
Giroud is a decent player for certain games and a good striker with various attributes. But if Marseille do come in with a £20million offer for his services then Wenger should take it and reinvest it in a new forward, one better than Giroud.
