Arsenal: Why is no one talking about bringing Olivier Giroud home?

Arsenal fans only learned to truly love Olivier Giroud as he was leaving, so why aren’t we talking about bringing him home for free?

I tell everyone that Olivier Giroud is coming home this summer. I don’t know why I keep saying it, especially as no one is asking me, but I’ll keep saying it, even if no one else is, because among all the things that Arsenal needs right now, and this summer, securing a free transfer for a striker with his heart still with the club is invaluable.

There were talks, before he left, of potential captaincy for Giroud. Amazing how just when you start talking about making a player captain, they leave (watch out, Granit Xhaka). It’s like the opposite of Arsene Wenger’s old policy.

Regardless, you may be asking yourself why the Gunners would need Giroud, and my answer is pretty simple – because two strikers doesn’t cut it.

None of us know what the plan is with Danny Welbeck. As much as it’d be nice to see him stay, it’s not a high likelihood. Eddie Nketiah clearly isn’t ready. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are always going to be the go-to guys, but unlike at Chelsea, where Gonzalo Higuain has stolen the starting role and provide nothing in return, I think Unai Emery is smarter than that.

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It’s been made clear this year that Emery wouldn’t prefer to start both strikers. It really hinders his ability to change the game later, which is so often a crucial part of his game plan.

Yet, the two striker sets are more and more looking like a superb option with the set-up of players that we have. So a third striker becomes more of a pressing concern than it once was, and when you think about how we play – sending sizzling crosses into the box, looking for bodies and link-up, Giroud is the exact type of guy that would thrive with flicked on balls to whoever is in behind him, or thunder headers from Kolasinac’s blistering crosses.

It’s the perfect plan, and the best part is that he’s free. So many players have been linked to the Emirates solely because they are free, so why not take that to one more guy that I’d actually be excited to see back at the club?

Giroud loves Arsenal and I refuse to believe that he wouldn’t come back if he was given an actual chance to compete for a role, which he absolutely would. Emery is nothing if not fair.