Olivier Giroud has confirmed he is “on the verge” of agreeing a new contract at Arsenal.
The French international’s current deal expires in 18 months time and Arsenal have been keen to complete negotiations swiftly with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also out of contract in the summer of 2018.
Giroud had endured a frustrating start to the season but has come good after recovering from a toe injury, earning a return to Arsene Wenger’s starting XI and weighing in with crucial late goals against West Brom, Bournemouth and Preston.
“We're on the verge of reaching an agreement for an extension,” Giroud told Telefoot. “It’s also a sign of confidence and I want to continue my adventure here in this Arsenal family, and I feel very good here.
"When I spoke with the manager, he always kept telling me that I'm an important player. I know what I'm capable of and it's just a case of being patient, working hard in training and waiting for your hour to come.”
The 30-year-old has scored six of his nine goals this season in the final 20 minutes of games and continued his run of decisive late strikes with the winner in the FA Cup third round at Preston.
