Olivier Giroud Says Laurent Koscielny Is 'Very Hurt' by Arsenal Conflict

Olivier Giroud has come to the defence of former Arsenal team-mate Laurent Koscielny after he refused to go on the Gunners' pre-season summer tour of the U.S. 

The Chelsea striker is a close friend of the Arsenal captain and told BBC Sport's David Ornstein that Koscielny has always been "very respectful, very professional, always the best example for the young players" during his nine years at the club.

He added:

"The club gave him the opportunity to play at Arsenal, and it was a big, big opportunity for him to show his quality in the Premier League. I think he has always been grateful about that and respectful to the club. I don't understand how we have got to this situation.

"I feel very sad for him because he's a great person and the media wants to give a bad image of him.

"I'm not at the club. I don't know what really happened—but one thing for sure is Lolo is very hurt by what's happening, and he's an emotional person."

The 32-year-old also urged fans not to rush to judgement of the centre-back: "I'm pretty sure we don't know everything in this situation."

Goal's Charles Watts shared Arsenal's statement on the matter and expressed his own surprise that such a situation would arise:

According to Ornstein, Koscielny's refusal to join the tour came about after the club denied a transfer request. The defender is in the final year of his deal and is said to be unhappy with the Gunners' offer of a new one.

Arsenal boss Unai Emery provided an update on the situation:

Koscielny has been an outstanding player and leader for the Gunners since his arrival from Lorient on 2010, making 353 appearances.

As Fox Sports' James Dodd noted, the club cannot afford to part with him:

The Frenchman will be 34 in September, and he missed the first half of last season after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

However, Shkodran Mustafi's repeated errors make him an unreliable choice to partner Sokratis Papastathopoulos at the back, necessitating Koscielny's presence in the side.

Arsenal's failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the third season running has left them with a tight budget, too, so splashing out on replacement defenders for both Mustafi and Koscielny is perhaps beyond their capabilities.

The captain has put the club in a difficult situation, which is the last thing they needed amid an already tricky summer.