Chelsea finalise a deal to sign Arsenal's Olivier Giroud as a complex transfer triangle is completed
Olivier Giroud has been a back-up player for Arsenal this season
Chelsea have finalised a deal to sign Olivier Giroud, after Arsenal agreed to sell the French striker to their London rivals on transfer deadline day.
Giroud’s move to Chelsea formed a piece of a transfer story that involved Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang moving to Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi moving to Dortmund as his replacement.
Chelsea would only give the green light to the Batshuayi deal once they were given permission to sign Giroud from Arsenal and all those deals have now been finalised on deadline day.
Giroud’s move to Chelsea is one of the more surprising moves of this transfer window, with Arsenal selling a second big name player to a Premier League rival after Alexis Sanchez joined Manchester United earlier this month, but they were pressed into agreeing to the move as they looked to sign Aubemayang.
The transfer concludes Giroud’s five-and-a-half-year stay at Arsenal, with his record of scoring 105 goals in 253 games including some crucial strikes in high profile matches as he helped the Gunners win three FA Cups in the last four years.
"He is a guy who gave great service to the club, he never let us down on the commitment front and saved us many times," said Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger as he paid tribute to Giroud.
"I have absolutely no doubt, when I ask him if he is ready to commit and he says yes. I have no problem with that and put him on because it was needed.
"I took him from Montpellier and made him a strong international player for France. We have come together through good and bad but always his behaviour was top, top class."
Giroud will be eligible to play for Chelsea in their upcoming Champions League last-16 clash against Barcelona.
