The transfer window will soon be slamming closed, but there is still time for plenty of moves to take place, and the speculation will continue to rage for the remainder of August. The latest rumour concerns striker Olivier Giroud and a possible approach by Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund.

Giroud played a key role in Arsenal’s first match of the new season, scoring the winning goal in their 4-3 victory over Leicester at the Emirates Stadium on 11 August, as they dramatically came back from a 3-2 deficit in the final 10 minutes of play. But it seems that the French international’s five year tenure might be coming to an end.

The rumours of a shift to BD come only days after speculation that Everton would be looking to sign him as a replacement for the outgoing Romelu Lukaku, who completed his transfer to Manchester United in early July.

The view from the bookmakers

From the bookie’s perspective, the transfer window is almost as dramatic as the football season itself. Gamblers love to put a few pounds on who is going where, and a whole host of new betting sites are offering odds on Giroud and others. Odds of a move to BD are as short as 12-1 from some sites, but most think that the move to Everton is a more likely outcome, with odds of 4-1. Meanwhile, remaining at Arsenal is being quoted at 1-10 on.

The view from Giroud

So what does the man himself have to say on the topic? As you might expect, he is playing down the rumours of a move, and saying all the usual words. When interviewed by the French media, he said: “I am an Arsenal player. I have a two-year contract, at least.”

However, there can be no denying that he has gradually moved down the pecking order, and the signing of Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon in a £52 million deal earlier this year will have done little to reassure him that he will spend more time on the field than the sub’s bench this season.

Giroud has made no secret of the fact that he needs to be playing regularly in the run up to next year’s World Cup and the simple fact is that to do so he might be forced to go elsewhere.

The view from the club

In an ideal world, Arsense Wenger would like to have Giroud around for the remainder of the season, but the man is nothing if not a pragmatist. When he signed Lacazette, he knew that it would likely be at the expense of either Giroud or Alexis Sanchez.

The latter is, himself, the subject of as much media speculation as Giroud, with many pundits saying his departure to either Paris St Germain or Manchester City is all but certain. If this is the case, the likelihood if Giroud remaining at the Gunners is higher. The bookies agree, offering just 1-3 on Sanchez staying, and around 3-1 on a move to City or PSG.