According to the French Radio station RMC, Arsenal duo Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin have signed contract extensions at the club. This news comes amidst talks of new contracts being offered to various Arsenal players who are closing in towards the end of their current deals.
RMC have reported that Giroud has committed to the club for another year while Coquelin has signed a two-year extension which will keep him at the Emirates until 2021. Laurent Koscielny is also said to be close to a new deal and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also in talks according to Arsene Wenger.
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Coquelin’s emergence has helped Arsenal’s cause
Coquelin, 25, has been at the club since 2008 but only established himself as a mainstay in the Gunners midfield in the 2014-15 season. The ball-winning midfielder has added steel to an Arsenal midfield that was often criticised as being too soft. He forged an unlikely partnership with the nimble-footed Santi Cazorla which saw the Gunners recover the season and finish in the Champions League spots.
Giroud, meanwhile, arrived at Arsenal in 2012 as a replacement for Robin van Persie, but is yet to really find the kind of goalscoring form that Arsenal expect from their leading front man.
Giroud the impact sub
But the 30-year-old offers a different dimension, as his aerial prowess makes him a real threat in the box. In fact, no other player has scored more headed goals in the Premier League than the Frenchman since he arrived at the Emirates 4 years ago.
Giroud has seen himself on the bench for most part of this season, as Arsene Wenger has preferred Alexis Sanchez up front in a false 9 role. But the target man has been an effective impact player for Arsenal, coming off the bench to score some crucial goals, including a late equaliser at Old Trafford against rivals Manchester United. He has bagged 5 goals in 13 appearances so far this season.
Arsene Wenger will be thrilled to have the duo committing to the club, having recently tied up a new deal with Spanish starlet Hector Bellerin. The right back, who was part of the PFA Team of The Year for 2015/16, signed a long-term deal despite interest from former club F.C. Barcelona.
Contracts on the table for star trio
A new contract is also said to be on the table for Santi Cazorla whose current deal expires in the summer. The Spanish playmaker is currently out with an injury and is set to return only in the new year.
Cazorla has attracted interest from Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan, and the Gunners will have to move quickly to avoid losing him on a free. Another major concern for Arsene Wenger is getting the star duo, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, to commit to new deals, and although initially a bump was reported, an official of the club recently said that the situation was “looking good.”
