CHELSEA HAVE COMPLETED the signing of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal.
The France international will join the Blues on an 18-month contract with an option to extend it for another year after the two clubs agreed a deal worth around £16 million (€18.3m) on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old was a surprise inclusion in Arsene Wenger’s squad which went down to Swansea at the Liberty Stadium last night, coming off the bench in the Gunners’ 3-1 defeat in south Wales.
However, following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrival at the Emirates earlier today, Giroud was finally deemed surplus to requirements having struggled to break into Wenger’s starting XI this term.
For Chelsea, meanwhile, Giroud will provide cover and perhaps competition for Alvaro Morata, with the unfancied Michy Batshuayi joining Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan to fill the void left by Aubameyang.
Welcome to Chelsea, @_OlivierGiroud_! 👍#GiroudIsBlue pic.twitter.com/rY1VRsgyYk
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 31, 2018
Aubameyang has undergone medical. Arsenal poised to sell their top scorer in each of the past five seasons (Walcott 21 goals, Giroud 22, Sanchez 25, Giroud 24 and Sanchez 30) in the space of 14 days.
— Jeremy Wilson (@JWTelegraph) January 31, 2018
Antonio Conte has attempted to recruit one from a plethora of physical target men during the January window: Andy Carroll, Edin Dzeko, Ashley Barnes and even Peter Crouch have all been linked with a Stamford Bridge move.
Six-foot-three Giroud arrives crosstown having scored 88 goals for Arsenal – seven of them this term – over six seasons in North London.
- Omni
