West Ham are monitoring the future of Olivier Giroud with a view to making an audacious move for the Arsenal striker this summer, claims The London Evening Standard.
Giroud only signed a new contract extension at the start of the year but the France international has already been open about the fact he was unhappy with his lack of playing time last season.
The 30-year-old will not settle for long spells on the bench again next season with the 2018 World Cup around the corner, and with Arsenal working on summer deals for Alexandre Lacazette and Kylian Mbappe, there is a strong chance Giroud will be forced to find regular first-team football elsewhere.
Arsenal are reportedly open to the idea of Giroud leaving the club this summer but would only consider a deal if they can get replacements in through the door beforehand, with West Ham waiting in the wings.
Slaven Bilic’s side are determined to bolster their offensive options this summer and have already been linked with moves for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi and Manchester City outcast Kelechi Iheanacho.
However, West Ham may now wait to see how Giroud’s situation develops at their London rivals before plotting their next move in the transfer window, although it would require a sizeable fee to prize the Frenchman away from Arsene Wenger’s side.
Giroud made 29 league appearances last season but was limited to only 11 starts in that time. Nevertheless, the forward was a regular contributor for the Gunners, scoring 12 goals and registering three assists in that time.
In fact, of players that scored at least 10 goals in the Premier League last season, only Harry Kane (1 every 82.3 minutes of action) required fewer minutes per goal than Giroud (every 99.5 minutes of action).
For more stats on Olivier Giroud, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
