West Ham want Olivier Giroud for club record fee

West Ham United have joined the race to sign France and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud and are willing to make him their record signing as their search for a new centre-forward continues. 

Lyon were reported to have a strong interest in signing Giroud recently, but with suggestions today that their pursuit of him has cooled, West Ham could launch their own bid for the 30-year-old. 

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen to keep hold of Giroud, but understands that his striker may push for a move away from the club in order to get regular first-team football.

The attacker's desire to leave may be increased if the club completes a deal for fellow Frenchman Alexandre Lacazette, who would push Giroud further down the attacking pecking order. 

West Ham have been searching for a reliable centre-forward for some time now and have been linked with numerous players to fill that gap. The Telegraph suggests that they would be willing to pay £20 million to move Giroud across London and could even offer in excess of his £120,000 per week wage. 

By the time the new Premier League season begins, we could be seeing a very different Arsenal team. Several high profile players have been linked with transfers to the club, whilst the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are rumoured to be looking for new clubs.