Olivier Giroud may be France's first-choice striker under Didier Deschamps, but he's endured a tough and frustrating 2016-17 campaign at club level.

The big centre-forward started just 11 of Arsenal's 38 Premier League matches as they failed to qualify for the Champions League for the very first time under Arsene Wenger.

Giroud found himself behind Danny Welbeck in the pecking order towards the end of the season, but despite his lack of game time, he scored 16 times in all competitions.

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That tally was only bettered by Theo Walcott (19) and star man Alexis Sanchez (30), and with six of his league goals coming as a substitute, he actually boasted one of the best minutes-per-goal ratios in England's top-flight.

Arsenal have recently been linked with Alexandre Lacazette and Kylian Mbappe, further intensifying speculation regarding Giroud's future, however Wenger has now sent a message to his compatriot amid all the transfer talk.

Wenger's message for Giroud

Giroud, who moved to the Emirates Stadium from Montpellier back in 2012, lost his place in Wenger's starting XI this year, but the 67-year-old manager wants him to stay.

In fact, Wenger has suggested that he'll need the striker next season, saying, via The Mirror: "It has been a frustrating season for him because he has not played a lot.

"And when he has played well, he has not always played the next match. He has won us a lot of points when he has come on because he has scored lots of times."

Wenger, who kicked off his summer business with the signing of Sead Kolasinac from Schalke earlier this month, ended by simply stating: "He (Giroud) has qualities that our team need.”

Will Giroud stay?

Giroud is often maligned for his obvious lack of pace, but he's registered 98 goals in 227 games for Arsenal in addition to scoring 27 times for his country.

The 30-year-old, who came off the bench to set up Aaron Ramsey's winner in the FA Cup final win over Chelsea, only signed a new two-and-a-half year deal with the Gunners in January.

That said, he's been attracting serious interest from West Ham and Marseille this summer and is desperate for a good 2017-18 season with the World Cup just around the corner.

If Wenger is unable to guarantee Giroud regular playing time this year, Arsenal may have a real fight on their hands to keep hold of the French international.

Do YOU think Arsenal should keep Giroud this summer? Be sure to leave YOUR opinion in the comments box below!