Chelsea have agreed an £18m deal to sign Olivier Giroud - but incredibly he will still be on the bench for Arsenal tonight.

That deal will pave the way for Arsenal to complete their record breaking £58m deal for Pierre Emerick Aubameyang on deadline day.

Giroud is in Arsenal’s squad for the trip to Swansea but it was thought he was allowed to leave to thrash out personal terms on his switch to Chelsea.

But the Frenchman was named on the bench for Arsenal’s trip to Swansea even though he is in the process of negotiating a move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are expecting the Giroud deal to go through tomorrow with Michy Batshuayi set to join Borussia Dortmund on loan to replace Aubameyang.

Arsenal's Olivier Giroud and Henrikh Mkhitaryan ahead of the Swansea match (
Image:
Getty)
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger ahead of the match against Swansea (
Image:
Getty)

Aubameyang, 28, flew into London today and will have a medical tomorrow to complete his switch to Arsenal having agreed a £180,000–week contract.

Arsenal had been reluctant to deal with a top four rival and Chelsea also appear to have got Giroud on the cheap at £18m as the original asking price had been £30m.

But Giroud wanted to stay in London ahead of moving to Dortmund as part of the Aubameyang deal and now the Germans are getting Batshuayi.

The remarkable merry-go-round will be completed on deadline day with everything agreed in principle for the three-way switch with medicals yet to be completed.

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Aubameyang, 28, is in London and will have a medical on Wednesday to complete and sign a £180,000–week contract.

Giroud wanted to stay in London and Chelsea appeals but the sticking price has been the price but the club’s are now ready to push it through.

Dortmund wanted Giroud and Arsenal had wanted £30m for the striker but have compromised to get the deal done.

Aubameyang etted into Luton Airport today as he bids to secure his transfer to the Gunners.

Aubameyang is set to move for a fee in the region of £60million as Arsenal look to replace the goals lost by selling Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United.

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Image:
Sky Sports)
The striker is edging closer to sealing a switch to the Emirates (
Image:
Sky Sports)

Aubameyang will earn £180,000-a-week at Arsenal should the deal go through before tomorrow night's deadline.

He was pictured arriving at the airport at midday on Tuesday before catching a flight to London, where he landed around 2pm.

The forward will thrash out personal terms and undergo a medical but Arsenal are expecting negotiations to drag into the final day of the window.

Dortmund will not sanction the deal until they have a replacement.

Aubameyang arriving at Dortmund airport earlier on Tuesday (
Image:
Guido Kirchner/MirrorOnline)
Aubameyang is set to swap Dortmund for Arsenal (
Image:
PA)

Their No1 target now is Batshuayi but Chelsea wouldn't let him go unless they got Giroud from Arsenal.

Arsenal do not want to do business with a direct rival but were forced into doing a deal to get the Aubameyang transfer over the line.

Dortmund have until February 2 to complete a deal for his replacement with the German window open until Friday.