Everton have been dealt a decisive blow in their interest in Olivier Giroud after the striker confirmed he will stay at Arsenal this season.
Giroud came off the bench to score Arsenal’s winning goal in their thrilling 4-3 win over Leicester on Friday evening to get the Gunners of to a winning start in the league.
The France international spent most of last season on the bench and first-team opportunities will be limited further this season following the arrival of club-record signing Alexandre Lacazette.
Everton have been heavily linked with a move for the 30-year-old this summer as Ronald Koeman seeks another striker but will have to look elsewhere after Wenger confirmed Giroud has decided to stay at the club.
“I love the man and the player,” The Daily Telegraph quote Wenger as saying after Friday’s game. “He’s a fantastic guy and he’s committed. I opened the door for him because I know it’s important for him to play but I don’t want him to go.
“In the end he decided to stay and it was one of the great days of recent weeks for me. Giroud is in his prime - he is at the top of his game. I know how important he is, not only as a player but also in the group, he has a big weight. It was a relief for me he decided to stay."
Since August 2015 Giroud has scored at least four more goals as a substitute than any other Premier Legaue player (10).
