Olivier Giroud is close to making a decision on his Arsenal future and looks to set to stay.

It seems Arsenal’s squad will retain it’s handsomeness levels as the French international will be sticking around at the Emirates Stadium, according to the Express.

Earlier this summer, there was considerable doubt about Giroud’s future at Arsenal. He had made just 11 Premier League starts the previous season, and it was clear the Gunners were trying to sign a striker.

It’s always assumed that when a new player arrives, the existing player in that position has to leave. When Alexandre Lacazette arrived, speculation increased as to where Giroud was going to end up. Everton, Lyon, Marseille, West Ham and Borussia Dortmund were all touted as potential destinations.

However, Wenger still saw a place in his squad for Giroud and has seemingly been able to convince him to stay and fight for his place. Had the 30-year-old decided to leave, nobody would have begrudged him.

He’s a good enough striker to start for most clubs in Europe and will want to be playing regularly so he can retain his starting spot for France in the 2018 World Cup. Giroud still has plenty to offer Arsenal, and we’re all happy to keep him around.