After much speculation, Karim Benzema put an end to rumours that he’d be joining Arsenal recently, but Olivier Giroud has admitted that it would have been nice for him to come to north London.

For a while, everyone seemed to believe the Real Madrid forward was on his way to Arsenal. Journalists were tweeting about it, papers were reporting it as a done deal, but it wasn’t meant to be. However, rather than being relieved to not have his position threatened, Giroud has admitted it would have been good for his compatriot to join us.

“I feel great here, I have always said it. Every year there is speculation here about a new striker coming,” he said.

“From Welbeck, to Sanchez to rumours about Suarez. That is normal at an ambitious club.

“You should not buy for the sake of buying. A lot of players that we need are available to us now.

“We have a very good group with quality and we can go very far. It would have been good if Karim (Benzema) joined us too.”

The 28-year-old also confirmed that he would be staying at Arsenal, although I’ve certainly not heard any rumours about the Frenchman leaving.

“It would surprise me if you had read a lot of things about me possibly leaving the club,” he said. “That was never on the table.”

It’s good to see that Giroud is not only open to competition but is also committed to Arsenal. Not only is he a good footballer, but the fans adore him, and keeping this group of players together for as long as possible is paramount.