Everton are believed to want Olivier Giroud should Romelu Lukaku complete a move to Chelsea.

The Toffees are on something of a spending spree this summer as they target overtaking the Gunners in the table and a move for Olivier Giroud could help them do just that.

The Frenchman is much maligned but has a deadly record in front of goal, even when used as an impact sub from the bench.

Arsene Wenger, however, is reluctant to let Giroud leave, believing that he offers the side something none of his other forwards do.

Giroud, for his part, is happy to stay and fight for his place even if Arsenal sign Alexandre Lacazettte, which they are reportedly close to doing. Should Arsenal land a bigger name than that, Giroud would no doubt consider his future.

The 30-year-old signed a new deal with the club in January, tying him to Arsenal until 2019. Last season, he scored 12 league goals in 29 appearances, a deceptive stat that doesn’t take into account his failure to start many of the games. When you break that down, he scored a goal every 100 minutes in the league. When you factor in his assists, he scored or created a goal every 74.6 minutes.

Lukaku, for his part, scored once every 131 minutes and had a goal involvement rate of one every 105.

Marseille are also admirers of the Frenchman, but the smart money is on him staying at Arsenal, at least until January.

Should a lack of playing time look like it is putting his World Cup place at risk, expect him to become very vocal about it then, but not before.