Arsenal legend Robert Pires claims the club must retain Olivier Giroud if they want to win the Premier League.

The arrival of Alexandre Lacazette to the club has thrown Giroud's future into further doubt, with the World Cup next year becoming an important factor.

But Pires believes the Gunners must hold on to the 30-year old if they are to seriously challenge for the title.

"For me, Giroud has to stay," said the former France international.

"For Olivier, it is not easy to make a decision because ultimately he wants to play week in, week out.

"It's also important that he plays in preparation for next year's World Cup with France.

"If he stays it is great news for Arsene Wenger. Now we have four strikers which is important for making the squad competitive.

"The objective now for Arsenal is to lift the Premier League trophy and in order to do that, you need to have a lot of strikers in your team."