The £18 million deal that took Olivier Giroud from Arsenal to Chelsea isn’t exactly the standout of the January transfer window.

Despite two clubs who rarely engage in business being involved, it was always going to be overshadowed by the bigger deals completed this winter.

There were certainly a few, with Philippe Coutinho, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Sanchez, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aymeric Laporte moving around at the expense of roughly £200 million.

But for Giroud, the significance of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joining Arsenal cannot be underestimated.

With the 31-year-old already pondering his future, watching his employers invest £56 million in the Borussia Dortmund striker all but signalled the end of his time at the Emirates.

"When he signed, that made three central strikers and that is why I decided to leave,” Giroud told Telefoot, per the Metro.

"It was logical to give my career a new direction. There was a bit of disappointment even if I spent five magnificent years there.”

Resigned to securing a change of scene, Giroud sought advice from France boss Didier Deschamps regarding how he could boost his chances of making the 2018 World Cup.

“A week before the end of the transfer window, I needed to hear his (Deschamps') opinion. He didn't encourage me to join Chelsea. But he encouraged me to change clubs,” he said.

During his recount of the conversation, the former Montpellier striker also revealed he turned down three top European clubs in order to sign with Chelsea.

"Dortmund were interested but for a loan deal. There was Seville and my agent also received a phone call from Roma. But my choice was quite clear and obvious when I knew that Antonio Conte wanted to work with me.

"There are two central strikers at Chelsea. There will be good competition between us.”

A GOOD MOVE FOR GIROUD

It seems like a smart decision for Giroud. He is well-accustomed to the Premier League and has a better chance of dislodging Alvaro Morata than both Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

Conte has been crying out for an alternative option in attack, and that is precisely what Giroud will give him.

With that in mind, it’s not entirely surprising some Gunners fans are sad to see him go.

The Frenchman netted 105 times in 253 appearances for the north London club, averaging a goal every two-and-a-half matches across all competitions.

His ability to influence games coming off the bench has been plain to see during his five years in the Premier League, so it will be intriguing to see how Conte opts to utilise him.