Arsenal advised to keep Olivier Giroud amid talk of impending Chelsea move
KEY POINTS
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been virtually confirmed by Arsene Wenger as an Arsenal player.
- Meanwhile, Giroud is set to complete a move to Stamford Bridge on transfer deadline day.
Keep track of all the confirmed deals with our LIVE transfer deadline day blog.
Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour believes Arsenal are better off keeping Olivier Giroud despite their imminent signing of Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang is expected to be officially be unveiled as an Arsenal player by the end of the January transfer window with manager Arsene Wenger virtually confirming on Tuesday, 30 January, that the transfer is complete.
The deal for the Dortmund striker hinged on whether the German side were able to find a replacement in time, with Chelsea's Michy Batshuayi expected to join them on loan.
To finalise the above deals, the Blues are now expected to sign out-of-favour Gunners forward Giroud for a fee of around £18m ($25.5m) and complete what has become a unique transfer triangle.
While it is believed that the Frenchman would have preferred to remain at the Emirates Stadium, having already seen his game time reduced with the summer signing of Alexandre Lacazette, his place in the pecking order is set to fall even further with the arrival of Aubameyang.
Parlour understands Giroud's need to move during a World Cup year but believes his old side should keep him because of the options he brings to the team.
"In an ideal world, you keep Olivier Giroud because he's something different," Parlour said, as per the Express. "But sometimes players want to move on, they want to move to other clubs.
"If they get an offer like that, then it's a lot of money for a 31-year-old. But in an ideal world, you keep him. You buy Aubameyang and keep Giroud."
Parlour added that the 31-year-old will likely remain on the bench at Chelsea, with Alvaro Morata still being Antonio Conte's main man up front.
"I think that he won't play on a regular basis, we all know Morata's the main man," he said. "But he's a great asset to have off the bench, and if you're chasing a game, you can have two up front.
"Again, you've got to get the ball into the box, (Marcos) Alonso and (Victor) Moses in the wing-back positions have got to get crosses into the box for them two."
