I have the ‘weapons’ to fire Gunners to glory, says Giroud

New Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud is convinced the Gunners can win something next season – and maintains he has the “weapons” to help deliver a long-overdue trophy.

The French man has penned a “long-term contract” after joining for an undisclosed fee from Montpellier, which is believed to be over €16.2m.

The 25-year-old netted 21 goals in 36 league appearances as Montpellier claimed their first Ligue 1 title last season, and will now aim to make a similar impact as the Gunners look to deliver a first trophy since 2005 and progress again in Europe.

“There is a good spirit here, and that is another reason why I chose this club,” said Giroud. “I am confident in the potential of the group and I am convinced that in the future, hopefully next season, we can win something. It is difficult in England because there are so many big teams, but that is what gives it its charm, what makes it beautiful. It is the hardest league and it won’t be easy to impose myself, but I am confident.”

Giroud added: “I have the weapons to do well here. I will need some time to adapt of course, but I am not worried about that. I think I will adapt well. I like scoring goals and Arsenal create a lot of chances, so if I do well, then we will do well.

“Of course, there are big strikers here, it is a big club and there will be a lot of competition for places, but it is up to me to win my place.”

There were plenty of other options for the France international, but Giroud revealed it was the chance to work with Arsene Wenger which played a big part in his decision to opt for Emirates Stadium.

“The manager has always been about developing and I hope he can continue to do that with me too,” said Giroud.

Wenger feels Giroud will bring another “dimension” to his squad, which has already been bolstered by the arrival of Germany forward Lukas Podolski.

“Olivier has a very good physical presence and is exceptional in the air, with a great work ethic,” Wenger said.

“We are excited about Olivier joining us and he will add an additional dimension to our attacking options next season.

“He has proved that he is capable of performing at the top level with club and country, and we saw what a big influence he was in Montpellier’s championship-winning side last season.”

The Gunners are also likely to now move to offload some of their fringe players, especially in attack, where Marouane Chamakh, Carlos Vela and Nicklas Bendtner — who spent last season on loan at Sunderland and is now attracting “global interest”, according to his representative — all appear surplus to requirements.

* Wolfsburg striker Mario Mandzukic, who scored twice in Croatia’s victory over Ireland at Euro 2012, has confirmed he is in talks over a move to Bayern Munich.

“The truth is that I am negotiating with Bayern,’’ he said. “It’s a great club and of course I’d like to play there — who wouldn’t? For the time being I’m holiday, so it’s down to my representative to sort things out.”