OLIVIER GIROUD

Born in Chambery, Giroud is a French striker with a growing reputation. After years spent in the lower divisions in his native country, his fine form at Montpellier was rewarded with a high-profile move to Premier League side Arsenal in 2012.

The forward started his career at Grenoble, joining the club at the age of 13. Six years later, he was rewarded with his first professional contract. After impressing for the side’s reserves, he was handed his first-team debut in 2005-06, going on to make six appearances.

In the following campaign he scored his first senior goals, the first of them an injury-time winner against Le Havre. Giroud spent the 2007-08 season on loan with French third division side Istres, netting 14 goals. However, upon his return to Grenoble, he was put on the transfer list.

Tours secured a deal for his signature, bringing him in on a three-year contract. In two seasons with Tours, Giroud scored 30 league goals. His quality soon caught the eye of Montpellier, who bought him for €2 million in 2010 before loaning him back to Tours for the remainder of the season.

His goalscoring exploits at Tours were rewarded with two awards: he was named in the Ligue 2 Team of the Year and won Player of the Year. In his first campaign at Montpellier, he netted 12 times in Ligue 1. It was in the following term, though, that Giroud announced himself as a player of excellence when leading the line.

He spearheaded Montpellier’s Ligue 1 title success - the club’s first ever title - scoring 21 goals in 36 appearances and also notching nine assists. That summer, prior to Giroud representing France at Euro 2012, Arsenal acquired him for a fee in the region of £12 million.

Strengths: Physically very powerful, Giroud is an aerial threat. He is adroit in holding up play and also bringing others into attacks.

Weaknesses: Giroud has no glaring weaknesses, although if there is one area of his game he could fine tune it is perhaps to curb his habit of straying offside.

Career high: Lifting the Ligue 1 title with Montpellier, in particular during a season when money-fuelled PSG threatened to dominate.

Career low: Being transfer listed by Grenoble. “I am neither resentful nor vengeful. I am just disappointed with what happened to Grenoble when there was great potential,” he reflected.

Style: Not so much your archetypal target man, Giroud is mobile but his natural role is spearheading attacks.

Quotes: “It is immensely satisfying, a privilege. I savour this moment.” - Giroud on his first call-up to the France squad.

Trivia: Giroud played alongside Laurent Koscielny at Tours. The pair have been reunited at Arsenal.