From France: Giroud to Chelsea done, £19m, Arsenal striker will sign short-term deal

Olivier Giroud’s transfer from Arsenal to Chelsea is done, according to L’Equipe’s Bilel Ghazi in France.

The France international, who was struggling to get time on the pitch at the Emirates, will sign an 18-month contract at Stamford Bridge, with an option to extend it for an extra year.

Arsenal, down their end, will receive a compensation fee of £19m for a striker they only used as a plan B these days, relegated behind Alexandre Lacazette.

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The arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would only have complicated things further for the 31-year-old, who needs minutes to convince Didier Deschamps he is worth picking for the World Cup in Russia in the summer in what would likely be his last big international tournament.

The former Montpellier star is expected to pass his medicals and sign his new deal later on today.

With Michy Batshuayi heading to Dortmund, Giroud will head to Chelsea and fight for a starting spot to spearhead Antonio Conte’s attack with Alvaro Morata, who, after a strong start to the season, has only scored two goals in his last nine league appearances.