Olivier Giroud: 'Only club I wanted to sign for was Chelsea'

Olivier Giroud has claimed that Chelsea were the only club that could tempt him away from Arsenal.

The striker completed a reported £18m switch to Stamford Bridge from the Emirates on transfer deadline day.

The Frenchman had been part of the Arsenal fold since 2012, but after failing to maintain a regular spot in Arsene Wenger's team, the 31-year-old decided to join the Gunners' London rivals.

In his first interview with Chelsea's official website, Giroud admitted that manager Antonio Conte was a major reason why he opted to make the move.

"The most important thing was talking with the coach, Antonio Conte. I felt like he really wanted me and he really wanted to work with me," said the striker.

"I wanted to sign for Chelsea and nowhere else. I really wanted to play more. I wanted to stay in the Premier League, and Chelsea for me is perfect because I can even stay in London, but the first reason is the sporting challenge. That has always been my first priority. Everything is here for me to be happy."

Giroud watched from the stands on Wednesday night as the Blues lost 3-0 to Bournemouth on home turf.