Olivier Giroud admits he could leave Arsenal - but Everton face fresh competition for striker

Despite the signings of Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramriez, Everton boss Ronald Koeman appears determined to bolster his squad with a strong target man.

Olivier Giroud is a name that keeps cropping up, along with Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke and Roma’s Edin Dzeko.

Out of those three it is Giroud that currently looks the most realistic prospect.

The 30-year-old faces renewed competition at the Emirates this season following the £52m arrival of Alexandre Lacazette.

This comes after a campaign where the Frenchman started just 11 Premier League games, with Arsene Wenger often preferring Alexis Sanchez upfront.

With a World Cup on the horizon Giroud knows he has to keep playing in order to secure his starting place for France in Russia next year.

Despite speculation about his future Giroud travelled to Sydney with the rest of the Arsenal squad on a pre-season tour.

Speaking at the launch of Arsenal’s away kit Giroud appeared to admit he is likely to leave this summer, though his destination remains uncertain.

He was quoted in the Daily Mirror as saying:

“It (leaving) is an option to be honest with you.

“I’m here in pre-season, I wanted to travel. Some people asked me if I am going to travel or not. I am an Arsenal player and for the moment I am here. I just want to prepare well for the season and we will see later.

“But it is true that I really enjoyed my five years with Arsenal. I try to be professional. No matter what happens, I did my job on the pitch.

“I had an amazing welcome from the fans and from the club and it has been five amazing years for me.

“I won’t forget it, no matter what happens. We will see about my future.”

Those words should act as encouragement for Everton, who have been repeatedly linked with a £20m move for the striker.

West Ham, Marseille and AC Milan have also been credited with an interest in Giroud.

However, the Mirror also reports that a new team has entered the running - German giants Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund are considering selling Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chelsea and reportedly see Giroud as the ideal replacement.

Everton are likely to be able to compete with Dortmund on the wages front and also offer first-team football.

However, the German side can offer the Champions League, putting the Toffees at a huge disadvantage.

Everton’s transfer business has been serene so far this summer. But it looks likes the final pieces of Koeman’s jigsaw - especially that elusive target man - are going to be a lot tougher to complete.