Why a New Contract at Arsenal Provides Few Guarantees for Olivier Giroud

While Arsenal have been scrabbling to secure contract extensions for Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, the situation of Olivier Giroud has passed relatively unnoticed.

Like the Gunners’ marquee men, the striker’s current deal expires in 2018, meaning he is just six months from being able to leave the club at a vastly reduced fee.

Reports suggest he may be on the verge of agreeing an extension, but that comes with few guarantees. Even if he signs a new deal, his long-term future with Arsenal must be considered to be in some doubt. 

After all, this is the season in which Giroud has lost his status as Arsenal’s starting centre-forward. With Alexis flourishing in a central role, the Frenchman has largely been confined to the substitutes’ bench.

Manager Arsene Wenger regularly insists he retains faith in the former Montpellier man but admits he faces a greater challenge than ever before.

Per Sky Sports, the Gunners boss said:

How do we keep them all [the strikers] happy? Honestly I don’t know.

If you have only one striker, the press says ‘why don’t you buy another striker?’ Once you buy one more they say ‘how can you keep him happy?’

We are in a world where you have to know where you want to be and in my case I want Giroud to stay, I want Giroud to extend his contract.

After he has to live with the competition and for me he is a very important player at the club, on the pitch and off the pitch.

I want him to stay, he has to decide if he can live with what is going on but personally I like Giroud very much.

In the short term at least, Giroud seems content to stay. Talk of a possible January transfer has been dismissed by the player’s agent, Michael Manuello, who told Foot Mercato (h/t Sky Sports):

Olivier is very well at Arsenal. He will make his season here. Nothing is possible in January. He has no plans to move during the winter transfer window.

That revelation was followed by news from MailOnline that Giroud could be set to join French team-mate Francis Coquelin in extending his deal in north London.

The report read:

Arsenal are close to finalising deals to keep key duo Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin.

The club are in advanced discussions to sign up the French stars beyond their …

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