- Chelsea and Arsenal reportedly agree on a £15m plus bonuses fee for Giroud
- Frenchman will solve problem for Blues, add firepower to Conte’s squad
- Exit will make room for potential arrival of Aubameyang at Arsenal
- READ MORE: Medical for €28m Chelsea signing imminent, Arsenal ace becomes priority
According to reports, Chelsea have been searching to bolster their firepower this month, and Gianluca Di Marzio claims they may have found a solution.
As per The Sun, the Blues had been linked with surprise bids for Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch earlier this month, but given neither have featured regularly or scored many goals in recent times, it was debatable as to whether those moves made any sense.
Further, Roma striker Edin Dzeko was also linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but as noted by the Metro, that deal fell through with the Bosnian international and current Serie A Capocannoniere set to stay in the Italian capital.
Enter Arsenal ace Olivier Giroud. Having been limited to just two Premier League starts all season, it’s been a frustrating campaign for the Frenchman who will undoubtedly be desperate for more playing time and a more prominent role at 31 years of age and with the World Cup this summer in mind.
According to Sky Sport Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Chelsea have an agreement with Arsenal over a transfer fee worth £15m plus bonuses, the first crucial step in a potential move for the striker.
Giroud has scored seven goals in 25 appearance for the Gunners so far this season, and he seemingly fits the bill in terms of what Antonio Conte is looking for based on the attributes and characteristics of all the players named above.
The Italian tactician is evidently looking for a target man, one that can add more physicality up front, hold up the ball, link things together and be a goalscoring threat, and Giroud ticks all those boxes as he has been a very useful alternative for Arsenal as he offers something different to most other forwards.
In turn, it could be a costly blow for Arsene Wenger to lose him, but as Di Marzio adds in his report, given they’ve got their sights set on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, it makes sense for Giroud to move on rather than slip further down the pecking order at the Emirates.