Everton signing Olivier Giroud from Arsenal as a replacement for Romelu Lukaku should be a no-brainer.
The BBC have reported that Manchester United have agreed a £75m fee with Everton for Romelu Lukaku, which looks to finally be bringing the transfer saga surrounding the striker to an end.
Having scored 87 goals in 166 appearances for the Toffees over the past four years, the exit of Lukaku will understandably leave a big hole in their attack.
Everton’s Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring their first goal
However, the Merseysiders will have been preparing for this eventuality for some time, with the Belgium international admitting back in June that he would be leaving Goodison Park.
So who can replace Lukaku? Well the rumour mill is quickly up and running and the Daily Mail claim that Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud is top of the list of targets at around £20m.
And Giroud is exactly the man Ronald Koeman should be going all out to sign once Lukaku has gone to Old Trafford. Not because he is a long-term solution, but because he is the best option to steady things while Koeman begins to develop other talent.
Giroud will be 31 in September, but even if the Toffees can keep him at the same level for at least one year he will be worth the money.
With 98 goals for the Gunners in 227 outings, the Frenchman knows where the back of the net is and he flourishes when consistently in the starting XI – something he probably will no longer achieve at the Emirates Stadium since the club record signing of fellow countryman Alexandre Lacazette.
Giroud is used to leading the line for a Premier League team with European expectations – he has been doing it for five years, after all. Where else can Koeman find that?
Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud
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