Arsenal Transfer News: Olivier Giroud's Agent Talks Amid Gonzalo Higuain Rumours

A proposed swap deal involving Arsenal's Olivier Giroud and Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain has reportedly fallen through after details of the transfer were leaked.

That's according to Radio Crc journalist Raffaele Auriemma (h/t Ewan Roberts for Metro.co.uk), who has stated that after the story emerged in the public domain, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger pulled the plug:

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Wenger has blocked everything. Arsenal were upset by the leak and amazed that after a few hours everything was out in the open, so have taken a step back.

Even [Napoli chairman Aurelio] De Laurentiis seems bitter, even angry, not because he wanted to sell Higuain, but because he feels betrayed by his market consultant, who blabbed about several different rumours.

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According to GianlucaDiMarzio.com (h/t Luke Gardener of the Daily Star), the Gunners were ready to offer the Serie A side cash plus Giroud in an attempt to capture the Argentina forward.

When asked about a potential move to Napoli on Radio Crc (h/t ESPN FC), Giroud’s agent, Mickael Manuello, who was being interviewed by Auriemma, said he feels as though the Partenopei could be a good fit:

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As of today, Giroud is an Arsenal forward. If they were to ask him to leave, then we'd evaluate the situation.

There would be no fear for Olivier to go to Napoli, as we're talking about a magnificent place.

In Naples, my client could have a wonderful lifestyle, not to mention that Maurizio Sarri's style of football would get the best out of a striker like him.

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At the Emirates Stadium, opinion is split when it comes to Giroud. The forward has scored plenty of goals since joining from Montpellier in 2012, offering a focal point up top and a massive aerial threat. However, there is some doubt as to whether he possesses the skill and dynamism to be an elite forward.

Higuain is a player who’s enhanced his reputation in recent seasons, netting 36 goals in Serie A last term, a record for the division. Here’s a look back at a record-breaking campaign for the former Real Madrid man:

Regardless of what Wenger thinks of Giroud, the club needs to add another centre-forward to their squad this summer.

The other options at the moment are Danny Welbeck, who has suffered terribly with injuries since joining the club, and Theo Walcott, who still looks uncomfortable when asked to lead the line. The Gunners’ unsuccessful pursuit of Jamie Vardy suggests that, at last, it’s an area Wenger wants to replenish.

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Signing a player like Higuain would do that. The striker has made improvements to all aspects of his game since moving to Napoli and becoming the main man. It’s his predatory instincts that would excite Arsenal supporters, though, especially with the number of chances that Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez would create for him.

As noted by ESPN FC’s David Amoyal, the striker may have a poor record in big games, but he’s made outstanding progress:

Even so, a deal looks as though it’d be tough to get over the line. A source close to Napoli told BBC Sport’s Saj Chowdhury the only way Higuain will be sold is if a team meets the release clause of £80 million in his contract; the source also confirmed “there are no direct offers” for the 28-year-old at the moment.

Ciro Fusco/Associated Press

It means a part-exchange deal involving Giroud would not be entertained, despite his agent hinting he’d be keen on a move.

Either way, the Gunners shouldn’t be looking to move on their main striker to replace him with another, they need more scope in their options up top.

As these numbers from league matches last term show, each player brings different attributes to the point of the attack:

	Higuain	Giroud
Apps (Sub)	35	26 (12)
Goals	36	16
Assists	2	6
Shots per game	5.2	2.9
Key passes per game	1.5	0.7
Dribbles per game	1.5	0.3
Aerial duels won per game	0.3	2.7

Having signed Granit Xhaka to beef up the midfield and sorted out the goalkeeper position last summer with the capture of Petr Cech, Arsenal are not far off having a strong starting XI. At the moment, that includes Giroud at the point of the attack, although a genuine world-class goalscorer would give them a superb chance of winning the title.

Higuain has shown consistently he has the quality to add the incisive edge to Arsenal’s pretty attacking patterns. The asking price and his age—the forward turns 29 this year—should be enough to ensure he remains at the Stadio San Paolo, though.