'I think Giroud is a real coup for Arsenal'

It was announced on Tuesday that Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud has agreed to join Arsenal this summer.

To find out more about the Gunners’ new striker, Arsenal.com spoke to the respected French journalist, Philippe Auclair.

Scouting Report

PHILIPPE AUCLAIR
"First of all I think it is a real coup for Arsenal. Considering what Giroud has to offer, I think it is a very good deal. You are getting a player who has only had a couple of seasons at the highest level, but in that very short space of time has ensured that everybody knew he was a serious striker and someone to be reckoned with. In terms of value for money, I don't think there is much better in Europe at the moment.

"He is around 6ft 3in tall, so you would be talking in principle about a typical target man who you can hook the ball to and hope he holds it up. But he is not just that, though. He has huge physical presence, but one of the main characteristics of his game is his intelligence and willingness to find his team-mates in the danger zone. He is very alert to the runs made by his wingers, and is known for his link-up play as much as his finishing. He is terrific with his back to goal, at receiving the ball sometimes from awkward angles and, crucially for Arsenal when you think of their style of play, he has the technique and intelligence to play first touch. He doesn't offer just a physical presence, an aerial presence and a danger in front of goal, but he is also incredibly quick-thinking and quick-footed. Many people in France regret the fact he wasn't used as much as he could have been at Euro 2012 by Laurent Blanc.

"Blanc had a system and a plan that involved using Karim Benzema as the uppermost striker in his formation, and he didn't want to consider a typical 4-4-2. Every time it was put to him that he could play Giroud as a typical No 9 and Benzema as a withdrawn forward or an advanced No 10, he didn't think it was possible. Maybe he lacked a bit of courage, but a lot of people in France wanted him to do this. Prior to the Euros, Giroud showed that he could bring an awful lot to the France team. I have heard him being compared to other French strikers, or forwards coming from Ligue 1, but he is totally different. Technically he is far superior.

"He started his professional career quite late. This means that you have a player who is still very young, but who would, in normal terms, be considered to be entering his mature years. In fact he is only just starting out: he is 25 years old, but has hardly played at all at the top level, so you have a very fresh player there. He is also a player who has another eight or nine years ahead of him in terms of top-level football.

"He should be a 15 to 25 goals a season striker in the Premier League. You are always going to play him in a central position in this Arsenal team, I don't imagine he would be shifted to the flanks. I can imagine a 4-4-1-1 with Robin van Persie playing in a Bergkamp role; I can imagine a new version of a 4-4-2; and I can imagine Robin playing on the right as an inverted winger too. All sorts of combinations, but I don't think Robin van Persie's presence will harm his chances of featuring in the first XI. I still think it is possible to have Lukas Podolski, Giroud and Van Persie in the same team, and that is a terrific prospect.

"There is no doubt whatsoever that he will adapt to English football, he has the right physique and the right mentality. He is very confident and I do like players who come to top-level football late in their careers, a la Didier Drogba. You are talking about a player who only discovered the top level of French football in 2010 and he is very fresh and hungry, and this will play a part in his adaption. In terms of the language, there will be no problem. He is a very bright young man, he communicates well and has a very good temperament. He was part of a Montpellier team which had a remarkable team spirit, and he never thought of himself as the top guy there, he is quite humble. He really is a terrific acquisition."