Arsenal Transfer News: Olivier Giroud Won't Fix What Ails Gunners

Arsenal may be the front runners to land Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud, but landing the 25-year-old goal scorer isn't going to help the Gunners improve all that much next season. 

According to a report from Metro Sport, the Gunners are currently in the pole position to land Giroud from his French club, according to Montpellier manager Rene Girard.

The report states that Girard told French radio station RMC, "Arsenal are very interested and Giroud wants to play in England. If Arsene Wenger agrees with the president, he will sign for them."

The Gunners would be able to get Giroud for less than his £12.8 million transfer price, courtesy of a cash-player swap which would send Gunner bust Marouane Chamakh back to France in exchange for the potent scorer. 

But even at that discounted rate, Giroud still doesn't fix what ails Arsene Wenger's squad. They still suffer from defensive lapses with regularity, and while they have the size on the back line courtesy of the hulking Per Mertesacker, they still lack the consistent skill to be a solid defensive team.

Grabbing another 20-something forward to pair with superstar Robin van Persie is all well and good, but without some sort of defensive help, this team still won't finish better than third in the Premiership next season. 

On top of that, while the 25-year-old Frenchman excelled at Montpellier last season, players have come from France to Emirates and found little to no success.

One need look no further than fellow French transplants Gervinho (18 goals the previous two seasons with Lille, just four goals with Arsenal) and the aforementioned Chamakh (16 goals in each of his last two seasons with Bordeaux, just one goal last year with Arsenal).

In other words, success in Ligue 1 is hardly an indicator that a player will be able to step into the Premiership and shine at Emirates. 

That's not to say Giroud's a bad player; he's shown a nose for the goal and is fairly skilled with the ball at his feet and in the air, even if his passing isn't world class. The 25-year-old is a solid fit with the Gunners, who do lack height at the front. 

But with the needs the Gunners have, particularly at the back, grabbing a player like Giroud wouldn't make sense.

He won't help their porous defense to improve, and until that happens, Arsenal will continue to give away points in matches where they should find success.

It wouldn't be a bad move by the always financially savvy Wenger, but given the team's situation, that doesn't make it the right one.