Olivier Giroud Contract: Latest News and Speculation on Arsenal Negotiations

Updates from Tuesday, Sept. 30

Arsene Wenger confirmed during Tuesday's pre-match press conference for Arsenal's clash with Galatasaray that Olivier Giroud has sealed a new contract with the club.

The deal is not yet penned, but Arsenal's official Twitter passed along Wenger's update:

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Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud is still recovering from an injury that will keep him out for several more months, but according to an exclusive in the Daily Mirror, the France international has put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at the club for the foreseeable future.

His new contract is set to run through the 2018 season, per the Daily Mirror's John Cross, with weekly wages rumoured to be around £80,000 per week. An official announcement from the club is expected in the coming weeks.

The news broke on Monday, one day before Giroud celebrated his 28th birthday.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson thinks the new contract for Giroud is a clear sign Arsene Wenger feels comfortable with the attacking players he currently has at his disposal:

The Frenchman moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2012 and has enjoyed a productive two-year spell with the club, scoring double-digit goals in both Premier League campaigns, according to WhoScored.com.

Not known as a classic scorer, his high work rate in front of goal opens up space for Arsenal's other attackers. Danny Welbeck's deadline-day arrival gives the Gunners more options in the attacking third, but Giroud still figures to be a fixture in Wenger's plans when he returns from a foot injury he suffered against Everton in August.

Wilson believes Giroud's reported extension will be the first of many for the club in the coming weeks, with Theo Walcott's contract also set to expire in 2016:

The Gunners have been hit hard by the injury bug early in the 2014-15 campaign, as the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta have joined a host of other players on the sideline, as noted by Cross.

Giroud is making strong progress in his recovery, however, and his return to the pitch will provide Arsenal with a big boost in the new year. Wenger's squad have had an up-and-down start to the season but still find themselves just six points behind league leaders Chelsea, with a head-to-head matchup next on the schedule this Sunday.