Arsenal: Olivier Giroud vs Danny Welbeck has everything all wrong
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal are supposedly wiling to ditch Olivier Giroud in order to accommodate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but isn’t that a bit backwards?
Arsenal have been remarkably active this January on both fronts – selling and buying – and to their undeniable joy, they may find themselves in possession of two new world class players while still boasting a transfer surplus when factoring in the summer window.
Everyone wins. Literally. Except for the developing situation of Olivier Giroud’s pending exit. Giroud has gone from the scapegoat of the century to a fan favorite because of his loyalty and undying effort to a club that has treated him pretty poorly in recent years, with a fanbase that treated him incredibly poorly before that.
Now, he is supposedly on the out to either Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund or any handful of other interested teams.
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Even assuming that a striker had to leave for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to come to town, isn’t it safe to say that Arsenal have gotten it all wrong?
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Granted, we should bet thrilled with the addition of the Gabonese hit man and that is the most important thing, but to make it Olivier Giroud that exits is just so, so sad. On so many levels.
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Not only would it sully a magnificent legacy, strengthen a rival with someone who can literally change the game, and give most fans severe indigestion when they see Giroud slapping the Chelsea badge, but, most importantly – it isn’t at all necessary.
Danny Welbeck is also on the books here at Arsenal and I have to imagine that, given his age and athletic ability, that he would be worth as much, if not more, than a 31-year-old Giroud. Yet ask 100 Arsenal fans who they would rather see depart and I’d wager at least 75 say Welbeck. And there’s an obvious reason why.
Welbeck has not latched on at since his move away from Manchester United. Injuries and failing to fulfill his potential have left fans enamored by his raw athleticism, but frustrated by his lack of finesse and fine-tuning.
He doesn’t have the luxury of having an entire fan base on his side given years of selfless dedication to the club because he just hasn’t been around as long as his French counterpart.
Wenger was pretty adamant that Danny Welbeck would not leave, but he was also adamant that Giroud would not leave. So clearly that should hint that they are on equal footing in the scope of the transfer window.
Which, again ideally, means that Welbeck can leave just as easily.
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Losing Giroud isn’t the problem. A six-month loan to Dortmund would be fantastic, as it would allow him playing time to assert himself before the World Cup. It’s losing Giroud to Chelsea that is the problem.