Olivier Giroud says Antonio Conte was the driving force behind his decision to sign for Chelsea, and he’s ready to start a new chapter in his career after leaving Arsenal.

On deadline day, Giroud completed his move across London as part of a transfer triangle. He moved to Chelsea, Batshuayi to Dortmund and Aubameyang to Arsenal.

The Frenchman had the chance to go directly to Germany and has explained why he chose Stamford Bridge instead:

“Basically, for me, the most important thing has been talking with the coach Antonio Conte,” Giroud said in Thursday’s Telegraph. “I really feel like that he really wants me.

“Obviously Chelsea is a massive club, so it was a great opportunity for me to start a new adventure. I’m very proud to sign here.”

As part of Giroud’s new club’s promotional video for their new January signings, the 31-year-old admits he wants a fresh start and Chelsea is a massive club.

It’s understandable that Giroud would want a manager who was keen to bring him in. The next few months could be very important for his chances of making it into the French national side for the World Cup. If he sits on the bench for those months, or doesn’t fit in the team, it could all go very wrong.

I’m hesitant to believe other factors didn’t play a part. If the decision were purely based on game time, Dortmund were the obvious choice.

Over the summer, Giroud’s wife reportedly didn’t want to move to Merseyside (via The S*n), and it seems very possible she therefore also didn’t want to go all the way to Germany.

The BBC also reported on January 30 that the France striker would prefer to stay in London.

As long as the striker gets the game time he’s looking for, it doesn’t really matter either way. It’d be good if he could refrain from scoring against Arsenal next season too.