Arsenal to keep Olivier Giroud for next season as Lyon president ends interest in striker
Jean-Michel Aulas has just signed Bertrand Traore from Chelsea and says Arsene Wenger wants Giroud to stay
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OLIVIER GIROUD is set to stay at Arsenal.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas says he has ended his interest in bringing the striker back to France because he says Arsene Wenger wants to keep him.
Wenger is in talks to land Alexandre Lacazette from the Ligue 1 side.
He has been told that Les Bleus' forward will cost a staggering £57million.
But the player is yet to be convinced by a move amid interest from Atletico Madrid.
Aulas had confirmed that Giroud - who is also a West Ham target - was being discussed as a replacement for Lacazette.
But the Lyon president says the Gunners have now pulled the plug on any deal, despite Giroud being spotted at Lyon airport.
Speaking after he had bagged Bertrand Traore from Chelsea for £17.5m yesterday, Aulas said: "Arsenal want to keep [Giroud].
"We don’t want to stockpile forwards."
But just 48 hours ago, Aulac admitted that there had "been an approach for Giroud."
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Speaking about the chances of the Gunners landing Lacazette, he added: "Everyone knows Atletico Madrid were going to €53million plus a €12m bonus. That's €65m (£57m).
"That is the price for a player who scores 25 to 30 goals every year."
Aulas insists there is still no agreement for the 26-year-old star despite Wenger's eagerness to complete before the pre-season tour to Australia.
The Lyon chief added: "I do not intend to sell quickly because there is still the option of Atletico signing him in January.
"It will take a very large fee. We cannot let a player of Lacazette's quality go without a replacement."
The Gunners were not looking to pay more than £50m for a player who is currently behind Giroud in Les Bleus' pecking order.
Giroud signed a three-year deal until 2020 in January, along with fellow Frenchmen Laurent Koscielny and Francis Coquelin.
