Borussia Dortmund will target a move for Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud if they fail to keep hold of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, reports The Daily Mirror.
Giroud’s has already reiterated he is not willing to spend another season on the bench with the 2018 World Cup approaching but his future at Arsenal remains unclear following the club-record arrival of Alexandre Lacazette.
Everton and West Ham are among the sides interested in signing the France international, but both now face serious competition from European giants Dortmund, who are facing a losing battle in keeping Aubameyang.
The Gabon international has emerged as a transfer target for Chelsea after they missed out on former striker Romelu Lukaku and there have been strong suggestions Aubameyang will actually become a Chelsea player this summer.
Dortmund will be forced to find a replacement for Aubameyang if he leaves the club and Peter Bosz’s side have reportedly earmarked Giroud as a potential target, which would throw Everton’s pursuit into serious doubt.
Arsene Wenger would be reluctant to lose Giroud and nothing is expected to happen until Alexis Sanchez’s future is resolved a the club. The Gunners can't run the risk of losing both strikers this summer unless they are able to bring in significant reinforcements.
Giroud made 29 appearances in the Premier League last season but only 11 of those were as a starter. Despite being forced to watch most of the season from the bench, the ageing forward did at least manage to weigh in with 12 goals in that time.
Furthermore, in the last two Premier League campaigns, Giroud has scored at least three more goals (9) than any other player as a substitute, which perhaps sums up his frustrations.
For more stats on Olivier Giroud, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
