Rumours linking Arsenal to my potential replacement spurs me on – Giroud

Olivier Giroud says reports Arsenal are in the market for a new striker provide him with great motivation.

Arsenal have been persistently linked to a new attacker in the past two transfer windows, with Karim Benzema, Edinson Cavani and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all touted as targets.

With no strikers brought in, however, Giroud remains the spearhead of Arsene Wenger’s forward line.

The France international, just four Premier League goals away from matching his best return of 16 in 2013-14, believes the opportunity to answer his critics is helping push him to a higher level.

“Obviously it helps to motivate you because when you are in your comfort zone, I think you maybe don’t give your best,” Giroud said in an interview with Arsenal Magazine.

“So it helps sometimes to have speculation like that, to prove that you deserve your place in the team.

“It’s part of the job. In every single transfer period, there is some other striker’s name coming out as a possible new signing.

“You have to deal with that and keep focused on the team and to help the team try to win every single game.

“You have to give your best and that’s what I tried to do. I’m pleased with my first half of the season so far.”

Giroud acknowledged he can still develop his game, stating that heading is an area he knows requires improvement.

“Consistency is my target – always getting better and better. I know what I can do, I’m pleased with what I have achieved so far but I really want to carry on and I’m sure I can still improve myself,” he added.

“I try to work on it every day to help the team to reach our aims and to win this league.

“I can improve my heading a lot, and I’m sure I will. It’s nice to score a lot of headers though because I think that means I’m at the right place at the right time often, and even more it means that I am getting good crosses.

“But I always try to help the team hold up the ball up front. That’s part of my job and it’s what I like to do. I think I’m doing quite well in that part of my job.”