Chelsea have confirmed the arrival of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal today, with Blues striker Michy Batshuayi completing the three-way merry-go-round of strikers with Borussia Dortmund.
Arsenal agreed a club record £60 Million deal to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang today, and it was firmly expected that the move would open up a three-way moving of strikers between us, Dortmund and Chelsea, and those reports have now all proved to be true.
Michy has left the Blues to join the BVB club on loan, while Giroud has completed a move to Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis, and while we will be the most excited about our capture, I can’t help but think we will have reason to regret allowing our striker to join our rivals.
Chelsea and Arsenal have had a fair working relationship in recent years, despite being strong league rivals, with the likes of Petr Cech and now Giroud moving between our clubs without hostility. They now appear to have worked with us to help us complete our move to sign Aubameyang strangely enough.
Giroud has notched up four Premier League goals so far this season, despite being limited to less than 400 match minutes, and now leaves us having scored 73 league goals in his five and a half year spell in North London.
We will now have to figure out how to accommodate quartet Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette, PEA and Henrikh Mkhitaryan into our first-team, and there is weary thoughts about a prospective partnership between the two strikers.
I’m of the opinion that Giroud would have posed as the better option to play in a front two with either of our current strikers, but that will no longer be an option going forward.
Olivier is now expected to form a partnership with Alvaro Morata in West London, although it remains to be seen whether the Premier League champions will opt to start matches with both up top.
The Frenchman retains a lot of quality, and will no doubt score key goals for his new side, just as he did for us when earning the title of super-sub over the past 18 months, and I can’t help but think we should have kept him as another option, and we will regret allowing his exit.
Will Giroud play regularly at Chelsea? Would he have been a better option to form a partnership in attack than our current options? Will we ultimately regret allowing him to join our rivals?
Pat J
I believe everyone will agree with me, that this is one of our best transfer window.
Well on the good side, we got rid of Walcott – a decade too late for my liking but he is gone so cheers(I am still drinking champagne). We also got rid of Coquelin who just was not good enough, not hopeless but NOT good ENOUGH. We also got P-E A, which may or may not prove a good buy; HIS TALENT IS NOT IN DOUBT BUT HIS ATTITUDE DEFINITELY IS. We got a clearly good player in Mykatarian(excuse the spelling). Above all and unexpectedly, we had Ozil renew, which to me is the best that has happened this window. On the flip side , we lost our best player since the Invincibles in Sanchez, despite his in/out season thus far, we lost OG which was sad but inevitable, even though it was to Chelski. We have NOT sold Xhaka and Elneny or loaned out Iwobi, all of which I would have wanted. And above all, we STILL have done NOTHING about our awful defence, lack of any DM and kept the fast regressing Cech as first choice keeper. So , a mixed window, at best. The real problem, defence – what defence?- under Wenger , stubbornly remains unmended!
Need one CB or DM and Extension for Wilshere..
Some fans crying about the huge contract of Ozil and asking questions if he is worth it.
Ozil, going by the stats is one of the best playmakers in PL history and that without world class stricker upfront in his tenure. Get through the list of the strikers post Ozil signing for Arsenal and you know he has been handicapped. NOW his time has come and NOW he will show how he can ransack the defense.
Ozil’s only condition to sign the contract was if Arsenal shows ambition and have a goal scoring machine upfront. And the lad came through on his words. Auba signs and he did not hesitate one bit in signing his contract. He could have rejected this and just moved on to MANU in the summer while earning the same (or more) weekly wages. But he didn’t. He is a Gunner, a true one.
Every penny spent on him is worth it. Get through your thick heads.
It’s no coincidence that Ozil signed a new contract at the same time as we confirmed the signing of Aubameyang. We now have two excellent strikers in Lacazette and Aubameyang that Ozil can link-up with. Mkhitaryan is also a good player that I think will do well at Arsenal. If Jack Wilshere can stay fit and signs a new contract, then we’re looking at the best attack force we’ve had in a very long time.
If we can get a quality DMF and sort out the defence before the next season starts, then Arsenal really could become title-contenders once again 🙂 Well, and a new manager too…
I’m convinced that the recent (Excellent) transfer business is due to the new guys behind the scenes (Like Sven). I think Wenger would have kept Giroud and Walcott for ever, and signed lots more “Promising” players without intervention from the club (At last!). I just pray that Wenger doesn’t ruin all the talent we now have by playing Wellbeck instead of Laca/Auba, and opposing the signing of a proper DMF.
And as for Giroud, as much as i love him and will always do, we are may be getting the emotions get the best of us in Giroud’s situation.
Rational: He is 31 and in his twilight years. For a tier 2 striker at this age, 20 mil is a good business for AFC and he won’t make CFC into champions. He is there as a Plan B as he was for us. So no harm, no foul.
The only regret is we have lost a good chant for a striker who was/is never prolific and went through too many barren spells with his goal scoring.While the Chavs put more and better crosses into the box(yes take note Bellerin)Giroud has no pace to get on the end of most of them.No great loss as far as I’m concerned and good money for a bench player at best
Na na na na, nananana heee yeeee eeehh, Aubameyang!
Too complicated for the Emirates crowd, what about instead of “THEO” “PIERRE”
youtube.com/watch?v=EtoMN_xi-AM
Great servant for us.
Saw genuine tears as he came to say goodbye to us on that horrible last night.
Exactly! But many refuse to see perspective. Most football fans dislike perspective , as it gets in the way of their one eyed nature. They hate facing up to, sometimes inconvenient, facts.
Quite surprised Oli went to Chelsea! But thanks for all the goals ?
I’m so glad we got PEA & Ozil signed!
Now in the summer I’d love a gk, cb & a beast in midfield
Chelsea now have a different way of playing. We only have one way now. Seeing Giroud hold up Chelsea colors with a smile felt wrong.
Still you have to believe that Auba and Lac will bring the best out of one another. Shame our league position is so poor, league cup and Europa will be the saving grace hopefully.
Hope too that the journo which said we’re also working on a secret signing was telling truth. Would love a follow up signing of the highest standard.
Think back a few weeks and the possibility of losing Ozil and Lex for nothing and now ending up with Micka and Auba, a situation that I’m sure we’d have all settled for, in fact preferred. Also the bonus of keeping Ozil to link it all together. I’m very happy with the business we’ve done, now before the window closes maybe a defender or two and holding midfielder, or is that too much to ask for. Oh and by the way bring back Martinez from loan to replace Cech and were done
I am happy Giroud left, he was not playing anyway. Would i have preferred him to go to Dortmund instead of Chelski? Of course, I will hate it every time he scores for them.
We sold Ox, Theo, Sanchez, Giroud, Coquelin and got Auba and Mhki. I would say this is a pretty decent outcome.
We still have about 8 players that need to go. Per, Debuchy, Chambers, Elneny, Xhaka, Santi, Iwobi and Akpom.
a DM like Monaco’s Fabinho and a strong defender like Napoli’s Koulibally or De Vrij from Lazio and a replacement for Cech should be our primary targets this summer.
Akpom and Debuchy are close to exits.. and Santi won’t give registered in the squad nor given extension, so,he’s pretty much gone as well.
Akpom’s a loan ☹
No it’s not it’s permanent…
And Aaron bighead Ramsey, no space for him in the club anymore
We should have released Aaron Ramsey and grabbed Lucas Moura away from the hands of Spurs!
What am I supposed to do? I’ve been here on this site for 5 years and would always back up his play. Can’t see myself following the Blues. I’m sad.
You will survive mr fanboy, from now on you can start a new adventurous journey by supporting batman
Ks I actually did LOL on that one.
He is 31,unable to dribble and poor in one-to-one. Hence, this is a nice deal for Arsenal.
Blind staying put in United.. so I guess any hopes for getting Manolas is gone..
And no DM I guess..
Ozil post a pic of him signing autograph hinting at signing a new again. Our forward line is fixed now the defensive side need fixing.
Signing new contract
Hope not I think he’s deserves this really been a great servant and scored some important goals.
Good luck to him but hope he’s rubbish against us!
So the weekend rings old pace against new pace in walcott v PEA.
Excited to see him and Bellerin have a sprint off!
Somehow we always avoid poz where we are most in need. Are we guys still looking for more players, or are we done?
Agree a good window I’m pleased.
If we could get a dm who can cover at cb plus get Martinez back from loan as said previously by someone else perfect until the summer.
It’s an interesting transfer window and we’ve done the sort of business that Wenger has always disapproved of…. I know we have new people on board to deal with transfers but is it just to appease the fans after Sanchez left or are the new signings because Wenger is leaving this year and the new manager, whoever he is has told the board his requirements? Just a thought
I am not happy Giroud goes to chelsea, but so far so good this January transfer
Official confirmation, arsenal made enquiry about Johnny Evans. Guess they trying to fix needy areas. Let’s wait and see what happens. Still a good window so far.
Debuchy gone to St Etienne. I think we going to sign a defender
73 goals in 5 years? Not a good record. I will cry for Theo instead of Giroud. Only deadwoods left are Ozil, Ramsey, and Mert
Well said Theo was better than OG12 by far but wenger always loved his wife giroud destroying Theo’s confidence
5.5 years,105 Arsenal goals and countless memorable moments
This guy is a true gonner!
We didn’t play to his strengths but he never complained
We abused him but he never complained
We criticized him when it wasn’t even his mistake but he never complained
Took all the criticism and still performed as well as he could
Thank you for all those late, crucial goals
Thank you for all those worldies
Thank you for those two fa cup final assists
Thank you for all those haircuts
Thank you Olivier Giroud
We want you at the world cup this year
All the best for your future Oli!!???
Well said!!!
I wasn’t Giroud’s greatest fan but I have to agree with Jim A’s comment praising Gooner4ever’s classy article
Very glad OG12 has left my Arsenal. Has never been AFC material. Think of it that he replaced RVP & we now have Auba. This is the best window ever. This milisant guy is too gud. Auba14 goalz are coming & ozil will be the king of assists again.
Oooooh! Is it a coincidence ozil signed just after OG12 was released. Hahahaha just thinking.
We didn’t have a choice OG had to be sold to get PEA. He was a loyal club member, and no I didn’t want to see him go to a rival, but I don’t understand why we couldn’t have used the position to try and get David Luiz, who is clearly out of favour.