Arsenal F.C. striker Olivier Giroud has confirmed he has entered contract negotiations with the club.
The France international, 27, joined the Gunners from French Ligue 1 side Montpellier for around £10 million in the summer of 2012 — having gone on to establish himself as Arsene Wenger’s first-choice centre-forward.
Giroud, whose current deal at the Emirates Stadium is due to expire on 30 June 2016, is keen to extend the player’s stay in North London amid reports linking Arsenal with a number of Europe’s top strikers.
“I have two years left on my contract but we are in negotiations to extend,” Giroud said.
“For now, I am here. There are many great things to do.
“I feel comfortable in the Premier League. My first was not too bad. I had a pretty good second. I hope to do even better (next year).
“I am progressing from year to year, the same as the team.”
Additionally, Giroud believes the Gunners lacked the necessary maturity see off the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea and win the English Premier League title last term.
“We were on top for a good half of the season and then we cracked,” added the 27-year-old talisman.
“I believe we lacked maturity and that we had a lot of injuries at an important time.
“Above all, we weren’t able to adapt to the big teams.
“We have to show progress in these matches, to maybe play less football, but it’s difficult because it’s our playing philosophy.”
Giroud will represent France at this summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil.
Swansea sign Lukasz Fabianski
In other news, Swansea City have completed the signing of Poland international goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski from Arsenal on a four-year deal via free transfer.
Fabianski, 29, will officially join the Swans on 1 July — a move that could see Michel Vorm leave the Liberty Stadium this summer.
The 29-year-old shot-stopper is absolutely delighted to be joining Garry Monk’s side, and understandably so.
In the end, the allure of regular first-team football lead to an “easy decision” for the former Legia Warsaw star.
“I am very happy with the move, the decision and the club,” said Fabianski. “I’m very excited for the coming season and the coming years.
“It will be a big honour to represent Swansea City. Everyone interested in football knows that Swansea is a proper football club. The way they play football is nice to watch and they have always been an exciting team.
“Based on what the club has achieved in their three previous seasons in the Premier League, you can clearly see that year upon year the club is moving forward.
“The club represents good values and their style of football is something that I would like to be a part of.
“I know quite a bit about them already but I am sure I will get to know quite a bit more in the coming months. For me, it was an easy decision to make to join the club.”
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