Olivier Giroud Reveals Reason Behind Rejecting Borussia Dortmund in Order to Join Chelsea

Olivier Giroud has offered an explanation as to why he snubbed Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window.

The 31-year-old left Arsenal after five-and-a-half seasons with the club to join Chelsea in a £20m deal, but Giroud was linked with a move to the Bundesliga - a switch Michy Batshuayi ended up making instead to allow for Giroud to join the Blues.

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Speculation was rife that the Frenchman would be transferred to Peter Stoger's team, to pave the way for the Gunners to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The striker said, as quoted by the Mirror: "The future looked gloomy with the arrival of a new striker [Aubameyang]. I wanted to become happier again by playing, so I left - it is as simple as that.

"The easiest solution was to go to Dortmund. Arsenal were happy, Dortmund as well. 

It was the offer most interesting, financially speaking. I have a very good contract at Chelsea but Dortmund really wanted me.

"It happened after a game of poker, like in all transfers. It dragged on, I started to get stressed because my third child was born at that exact moment. That was also why I did not want to go to Dortmund.

"Spending four months without seeing him, I do not know how I could have done it. It was why, I needed to take the bull by the horns."

Giroud also revealed that he had spoken at length with Arsene Wenger before his sale, with the 68-year-old only wanting the best for the player ahead of the World Cup this summer.