Olivier Giroud wants to stay at Arsenal, says Wenger

Arsene Wenger has revealed Olivier Giroud wants to stay at Arsenal this summer despite the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette.

Arsenal broke their club transfer record to sign Lacazette from Lyon earlier in the summer and Giroud has been heavily linked with a move to Everton as a result.

Giroud only signed a new contract extension at the start of the year but has previously warned he will not settle for another season on the bench with the World Cup around the corner.

The France international dropped down the pecking order last season and Lacazette’s arrival will only limit his first-team opportunities further, but Wenger insists Giroud wants to stay and fight for his place.

“Giroud fancies the competition,” the London Evening Standard quote Giroud as saying. “As a manager, you have him on your back, wanting to play.

“He fights hard, you know. I like the way he responds to what’s happening. He is focused and determined and showed that on the [pre-season] tour.”

In the last two Premier League campaigns Giroud has scored at least three more goals as a substitute than any other player (9).