Olivier Giroud cools Arsenal exit talk as Marseille target summer deal

Olivier Giroud insists he is content at Arsenal and appears set to stay at the club beyond the summer despite being mentioned in connection with a possible return to his native France. The 30-year-old netted 24 goals across all competitions last season, and in January joined compatriots Laurent Koscielny and Francis Coquelin in putting pen to paper on a new long-term contract.

Despite signing fresh terms in mid-season, Giroud has found regular first-team starts harder to come by in 2016-17. The former Montpellier frontman appeared 18 times as a substitute during a tumultuous top-flight campaign undermined by constant uncertainty surrounding the future of long-serving manager Arsene Wenger that culminated in Arsenal missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time in two decades.

Rudi Garcia's Marseille have been linked with a potential summer move for Giroud as their new American owners seek to challenge newly-crowned champions Monaco and cash-rich Paris Saint-Germain for domestic honours.

Reports from Sky Sports last month claimed that OM were willing to spend £20m ($26m) on a player whom they have supposedly identified as their number one transfer target.

Sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta previously described him as a "great player", although Giroud, who has two FA Cup winners medals and one Community Shield triumph to show for his five years in English football to date, appears to remain focused on helping Arsenal win a first Premier League title since 2004.

"There is nothing fixed, but I would say that today I feel good at Arsenal," he told Europe 1 Sports when asked if he would remain a Gunner despite that rumoured interest from Marseille. "I have two more years on my contract, we will see what the future will be.

"The Premier League is an increasingly high-profile and contested championship, where five or six teams can potentially claim the title. This is why I still want to continue to want to win this title."

Giroud did not discuss Marseille's pursuit of his signature and claimed that Arsenal had not allowed themselves to be distracted by the unhelpful speculation regarding Wenger's contract situation. The Gunners will be aiming to finish a difficult campaign on a high on Saturday (27 May) as they face champions Chelsea in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.