3 Reasons Why Olivier Giroud Would Be A Great Signing For West Ham United
Having spent 5 seasons at Arsenal FC, Olivier Giroud never quite lived up to the hype that surrounded him. But it’s a totally different story once you take a look at his stats, with 98 goals in 226 appearances, the French striker has racked up a decent number of goals for the Gunners. Although it might not exactly be “world class” numbers, it is a respectable total for a Premier League striker given that 68 of those appearances were off the bench.
Giroud has received plenty of criticism throughout his Arsenal career but one cannot deny the fact that he possesses amazing quality. There are not many in Europe who can hold the ball up as good as Giroud in tight areas. Such qualities might not be sufficient for Arsenal at the moment but a certain London club named West Ham United would be more than happy to take the 30-year-old striker to their newly appointed London stadium.
Giroud’s 16 goal tally across all competitions last season might not be enough for Arsenal to consider him as the club’s leading striker anymore. But Giroud does not necessarily have to worry about moving too far away from London with the Hammers actively pursuing the striker. With increasing interest from West Ham United in Giroud, let’s take a look at 3 reasons why he would be a great signing for the Hammers.
Premier League experience
Premier League can be a really tough place for most new strikers coming in from Europe. The physicality and the tough conditions can sometimes make it seem like hell for foreign players. But Giroud is someone who has spent 5 years in the league and has always managed to have an average of 18 goals per season, which is quite impressive and something that the Hammers could definitely do with.
West Ham’s lack of proven strikers
The striking department has been the one where the Hammers have struggled the most, with two of the club’s main strikers missing out through injury for most parts of last season, leaving Andy Carroll as the first choice striker for the club. The Hammers surely cannot survive another season of Premier League with Andy Carroll as the first choice striker.
As cheap as it can get
Olivier Giroud is currently valued at £21.25m. But if West Ham United can negotiate well, they could the French striker for something less than £20million. Given his goalscoring record and experience, it is certainly a bargain for the Hammers.