Ex-Everton manager Ronald Koeman has revealed to Dutch football magazine VI that Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud was “in the building” to sign for the Toffees in the summer transfer window before the Frenchman decided to stay in London,.
Koeman had Giroud at the top of his target list and has revealed that the deal was a lot closer than expected.
The Dutchman believes that the failure to replace Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku was the reason why Everton started the season so badly.
Koeman was sacked by the Merseyside club after the poor start which sees them lingering in the bottom three of the Premier League table and facing an embarrassing UEFA Europa League group stage exit.
Koeman said:
He would have fitted perfectly but, at the very last moment, he decided that he’d rather live in London, and stay at Arsenal. That was really hard to swallow. You tell me, where you can get a better striker?
Koeman also revealed that he predicted a tough start for Everton after being given a very unfavourable start to the season.
The Toffees had to face Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in four of their opening five games.
Giroud was looking for a move to ensure he gets enough playing time to secure a spot on the France squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia but decided to fight for his place at the Gunners.
