Many Arsenal fans are still angry at Arsene Wenger’s decision to let Olivier Giroud join rivals Chelsea in January for just £18 million.

To make matters worse, fellow striker Alexandre Lacazette has since been sidelined with a knee injury.

Of course, if Giroud didn’t leave, they wouldn’t have signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a club-record fee but doesn’t mean they weren’t sad to see the Frenchman depart.

But it seems Wenger allowed the striker to join Chelsea as a mark of respect for his five-and-a-half years of service.

That’s because Giroud has revealed the final conversation he had with his former manager and has explained how Wenger was just desperate to see him play at the World Cup in the summer.

GIROUD REVEALS HIS FINAL WORDS WITH WENGER

“I went to see the coach to ask him where he was with Aubameyang. I put him under a bit of pressure, like my agent, who I spoke to several times a day. It is normal. I did not want to be deprived of going to Chelsea which was the best solution for me," he told France Football.

“The coach immediately said to me: 'Don't worry, I will do my best so that you are happy'. He even said to me that it would p*** him off if I did not go to Russia."

So it seems Wenger just wanted Giroud to be happy and to have the chance to represent France at the World Cup. Even if that meant allowing him to leave for a rival club.

A beautiful gesture - but not one that necessarily benefits Arsenal.

GIROUD WASN'T PREPARED TO SIT ON THE BENCH

But you can’t blame Giroud for wanting to leave the club.

He went on to admit that he wasn’t prepared to sit around on the bench for the remainder of the season, especially with the arrivals of Aubameyang.

“It was frustrating at Arsenal obviously. For a year and a half, it went from bad to worse. I could no longer continue like that," Giroud added.

"I could not bring myself to spend another year at Arsenal and remain a reserve, even a second reserve. The future looked gloomy with the arrival of a new striker (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang). I wanted to become happier again by playing, so I left – it is as simple as that.”

But Chelsea certainly wasn’t the only offer he received.

Borussia Dortmund really wanted the 31-year-old but, after being involved in a transfer triangle along with Aubameyang and Michy Batshuayi, he ended up at Chelsea.

GIROUD REVEALS DORTMUND OFFER

“The easiest solution was to go to Dortmund,” Giroud revealed.

“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.”