Cape Town - Arsenal
striker Olivier Giroud acknowledged the reported interest shown in him
by Marseille, but insisted that he has no intention of leaving London.
The 30-year old hitman, fresh off scoring a hat-trick in France's 5 - 0 demolition of Paraguay on Friday, was the subject of fresh transfer speculation less than 24 hours later, with reports emerging that Olympique Marseille were lining up a bid to tempt him away from a club that afforded him very few opportunities this past season.
However, despite any frustration Giroud may be feeling over having dropped down the pecking order at the Emirates, he was quick to declare his commitment to Arsenal's upcoming season.
"I'm not necessarily insensible to the approaches of French clubs," he told Telefoot. "Especially a legendary club like Marseille.
"My future is at Arsenal," he continued. "We're continuing with what we've been building for several years. Now, we're going to challenge for the Premier League. It's my goal, it's our goal."
The player, who started only 11 Premier League matches for Arsene Wenger this season, may well be taking the likely departure of Arsenal's star striker, Alexi Sanchez, into account when considering his future.
With the Gunners unable to offer the Chilean forward Champions League action next season and the likes of Bayern Munich reportedly on the verge of making a sizeable offer for his signature, Giroud could well be feeling that the upcoming campaign has more in store for him.