Over the last few years a lot of the attention on Arsenal’s transfer business has often focused on who might be joining the club, not leaving it!
However, over the last summer we were hit with a new departure rumour every time we opened Twitter, putting pressure on the club to do the right thing.
And whilst all of the headlines wrote about Alexis Sanchez’s potential move to Man City, one Gunners forward was on the cusp of leaving the Emirates Stadium for a new challenge.
Olivier Giroud has had a bit of a crazy year, having signed a contract extension at the start of the year and progressing in the French team to become their number one striker.
But following the arrival of Alex Lacazette a lot of doubt was cast over the 31-year-old’s future as an Arsenal player, with it no longer seeming he was the boss’ first choice.
What felt like a lengthy summer continued to drag on but in the final few days of the window closing, Giroud announced his desire to stay and fight for a Premier League title.
Oddly enough that statement was a welcome relief for Arsenal fans, who were unsure of whether or not Wenger would dip back into the market if Giroud packed his bags.
But in his latest interview with Canal Plus, Giroud confirmed that he came incredibly close to making the move across the Premier League to a very familiar club:
I had the opportunity to leave.
I was very close to another English club – Everton. But I think I made the best choice.
Giroud is still playing second fiddle to Lacazette so far this season and his two goals in all competitions isn’t doing a lot to convince Wenger that he deserves a start in the Premier League.
However, with a hectic schedule coming up, the ability to rotate our forward line with his determining presence is something we could never have found in the transfer market!
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