Olivier Giroud Aims to Make Arsene Wenger 'Doubt' His Role as Sub Amid Exit Talk

Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud is ready to make manager Arsene Wenger "doubt" his role as an impact substitute in the squad. 

The Frenchman struggled for regular game time last term, and the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette in this window is unlikely to improve his prospects of regular football. But Giroud is adamant he can change the mind of his manager.

"It's up to the manager to decide," he told SFR Sport (h/t Ian Holyman of ESPN FC). "I'm here to do my best, as always, to make the manager doubt his decisions, give my best for the team, always with the aim of winning the Premier League this season."

John Cross of the Daily Mirror has also reported that Alexis Sanchez has accepted the club's decision to keep hold of him for another summer despite having just one year left to run on his current contract.

"But it may mean that Arsenal do business on another striker with Everton still keen on Giroud, although Wenger is desperate for him to stay," continued Cross.

It's no surprise the Gunners coach is keen to keep hold of Giroud. As these figures from WhoScored.com show, the France international gives Arsenal a different option at the point of the attack:

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Olivier Giroud: Has scored more headed goals (25) than any other Premier League player since August 2012 pic.twitter.com/bHGT1AoxmN

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) July 12, 2017"

Although Giroud has been a regular starter for the Gunners in his five years at the football club, Arsenal appear to be moving in a different direction in terms of their attacking play.

Indeed, last season they were at their best when there was fluidity in the final third. Sanchez was exceptional when he led the line, while Danny Welbeck, having recovered from a spate of injury issues, also impressed. Factor in Lacazette and there is some serious speed in the final third.

Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Even so, Giroud always seemed to make an impression for Arsenal when he was on the field. These statistics provided by journalist Chris Moore suggest enough:

There seems little doubt that the 30-year-old would adopt a professional attitude if he was to remain at Arsenal this summer, even if he was down the pecking order. But there'll be a desire on his part to play regular football.

That's not something he will get at the Emirates Stadium, although at Goodison Park he would quickly become a key member of the Toffees team. Everton have been busy in the transfer market, too, drafting in the likes of Wayne Rooney, Sandro Ramirez and Davy Klaassen to bolster their attack.

World Soccer Talk's Kartik Krishnaiyer believes Giroud would help fill the gap left by Romelu Lukaku's sale at Goodison Park:

Arsenal, like Everton, will be in the Europa League next season and will need a large squad. That means Giroud would get some chances to show what he can do in 2017-18.

But ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the striker will be desperate to ensure he remains the first choice for Didier Deschamps at the point of the attack for France. If he does stay in north London, it's tough to see quite how he does so.