Olivier Giroud was included among Arsenal’s substitutes at Swansea on Tuesday just hours after reports claimed the France striker has agreed an £18 million ($25 million, 20 million euros) move to Chelsea.
With Arsenal on the verge of signing Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is ready to let Giroud leave, but he still kept his star on the bench at the Liberty Stadium.
Chelsea appear favourites to sign Giroud before Wednesday’s transfer deadline, with Blues striker Michy Batshuayi possibly heading to Borussia to complete the complex transfer triangle.
Arsenal’s move for Aubameyang is expected to go down to the wire as the Gunners wait on Dortmund landing a replacement before allowing the striker to leave.
Reports have suggested the north London club will pay £55 million, breaking their transfer record for the second time in just over six months following the arrival of France striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon.
Any move for Aubameyang is now dependent on Dortmund signing their own forward, with the Bundesliga transfer window open until February 2.
They had been strongly linked with a move for Giroud, but Chelsea’s interest appears to have appealed to the 31-year-old striker.
Since then Giroud has started just one Premier League game and is now more open to a move as he looks to cement his place in the France World Cup squad.
