UK Edition
What will Olivier Giroud bring to Chelsea and where will he fit in?
Chelsea's search for a back-up striker this January linked them with a host of underwhelming names, so fans have every right to be pleased with the £18 million capture of Olivier Giroud.
The club opportunistically spotted a domino effect caused by Arsenal's move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who reluctantly had to sell Giroud to their London rivals to get the deal over the line.
That gave Chelsea enough leverage to acquire the France international for an knock-down fee and gain a player keen to impress and make France's World Cup squad.
Giroud divided opinion among Arsenal fans during his five-and-a-half seasons at the Emirates, growing more popular as he settled into the role of super-sub in his final 18 months at the club.
So what can Chelsea supporters expect from him and how will Antonio Conte use his new striker?
What are his positive attributes?
There are two strong facets in Giroud's game: his deft hold-up play and converting crosses and cut-backs into goals. At the risk of straying into 'good feet for a big man' territory, he has displayed an array of delicate flicks and touches during his time in England - epitomised by the pinball build-up to Jack Wilshere's goal of the season against Norwich in 2013.
Chelsea might not have Arsenal's reputation for intricacy, but they too are found of playing wall-passes around the edge of the box. Eden Hazard, Willian, Cesc Fabregas and Pedro all enjoy combination play in small spaces, and could thrive bouncing passes off Giroud. Alvaro Morata has at times been too easy to nip in front of with back to goal, and too quick to go to ground asking for a foul.
At Euro 2016, Conte got a tune from Graziano Pelle - a very similar type of striker to Giroud - by making him the focal point of Italy's attack.
The Italian coach drills plenty of rehearsed attacking moves into his players, to such an extent they can almost pass the ball blind to each other on matchday. Italy's midfielders played so many 'round-the-corner' passes straight into Pelle's feet before getting runners in support. Conte also enjoyed working with Fernando Llorente at Juventus, so he has history with target men.
With Morata likely to remain first choice, Giroud will be used from the bench when Chelsea are chasing a goal. Some forwards struggle to find the rhythm of a match in this role but Giroud, like Edin Dzeko and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, thrives as an impact substitute.
He has scored 17 goals from 61 Premier League appearances as a substitute, and 31 per cent of his Arsenal goals were winners. Though he never scored more than 16 in a league season, Giroud's goals tend to come at crucial moments and stick in the memory.
Chelsea have two wing-backs to sling crosses into the box, plus Cesar Azpilicueta who loves to step out and clip in crosses from the right channel. Giroud thrives in crisis scenarios late in matches when his team start to play in a more direct fashion, and also because his physical strength has more impact against tiring defenders.
His aerial strength is self-evident, but he also relishes darting to the near post and turning home low crosses or cut-backs with one touch. More spectacular first-time finishes included his 'scorpion' effort against Crystal Palace.
Any negatives?
Frequent Arsenal watchers noted that Giroud's hold-up play deteriorated during his final 18 months in north London. That could be the result of rustiness, but he is unlikely to get many more starts at Chelsea barring cup competitions. Long balls played up to him were no longer sticking, his touch was heavy and his weight of pass erratic. He also cannot run.
Giroud has lost a step. He had no pace to lose in the first place I hear you say, but that adage could well be misguided. Slow players need to have their full range of mobility at their disposal to survive at the top-level. Unfortunately, this means he is useful in an ever-decreasing set of scenarios. Giroud offers no threat on the counter, and very little pressing. Unless you have a team pinned back in their penalty area, he can be very ineffective.
He is also very one-footed. This limits the positions he can score from. He passes up many chances to put his right laces through the ball when an opening presents itself, generally taking the extra touch to get the ball back on his left. By then, the chance may have gone. His signature near-post flick with the outside of his left foot is a superb skill, but also a sign of his reluctance to use his right.
Giroud is a very conscientious professional who cares deeply, but that can sometimes mean he broods on bad moments and takes missed chances to heart. The sight of him on all fours pounding the turf in frustration is sadly an enduring image.
He went through some lengthy slumps at Arsenal when confidence drained, but Chelsea will not overplay him like Arsenal were forced to due to paucity of options.
Where will he play?
Giroud is a centre forward and nothing else - he cannot play wide or in a withdrawn role off a striker. So there are only a couple of possibilities for him at Chelsea. When Conte decides to give Morata a breather or Giroud a start, he will replace Spaniard at the tip of Chelsea's 3-4-3 formation.
Alternatively, if Chelsea are chasing a goal Conte can pair Giroud and Morata up-front for maximum fire-power. He could take off one of the three centre backs and switch to a 4-4-2, or simply tweak Chelsea's usual system into the 3-5-2 which Conte has favoured against the division's stronger opponents.
This would get Chelsea's two strikers on the pitch as well as their two most creative players Hazard and Fabregas. Morata and Giroud thrive on crosses, so Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses will need to stay on the pitch and get high and wide.
For an even more offensive balance, Conte could replace those two with Pedro and Willian on either flank. Chelsea failed dismally to mount a second-half response in their Carabao Cup semi-final exit at Arsenal, but the arrival of Giroud gives them scope to change the pattern of a match.