Olivier Giroud has joined Chelsea on a one-and-a-half year permanent deal, for a fee of around £19m.
Chelsea announced the deadline day move after Arsenal signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund earlier in the day.
https://twitter.com/ChelseaFC/status/958743642017058816
The Germans wouldn’t let their striker leave without Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi as a replacement. The Blues similarly didn’t want to lose a striker without gaining one back, so they’ve bought Giroud to fill the gap.
L’Equipe report that the 31-year-old’s deal with Chelsea is an 18-month deal with an option to extend for a further year.
Olivier #Giroud est un joueur de @ChelseaFC ! Tout est bouclé. Transfert avoisinant 18,5M€ hors bonus. Comme annoncé par @BilelGhazi contrat de 18 mois plus 1 année en option. Officiel dans les prochaines minutes.
— Mohamed Bouhafsi (@mohamedbouhafsi) January 31, 2018
The Frenchman spent five-and-a-half years with the Gunners after joining from Montpellier in 2012. He scored 105 goals and provided 41 assists in 253 appearances. Those goals helped Arsenal to three FA Cups and three Community Shields, as well as this year’s League Cup final and Europa League knockout rounds.
Giroud 18 pic.twitter.com/euwqtj5hNW
— Osman (@OsmanZtheGooner) January 31, 2018
With the World Cup coming up in the summer, Giroud wasn’t getting enough game time in North London. He spent the last month of his Arsenal spell on the sidelines with injury, but even before that he only made one Premier League start. Hopefully moving on gets his international prospects back on track.
Fortunately, Arsenal don’t have any more games against the Blues this season, five was enough. With any luck, Giroud will go and take points off all the other members of the big-six instead.
Good luck to him, and thanks for all the goals!
All 100 of @_OlivierGiroud_’s goals for Arsenal in 140 seconds #AFC pic.twitter.com/mn8bf3bllF
— Dan Critchlow (@afcDW) September 28, 2017