Olivier Giroud Gets #12, Lukas Podolski Gets TBC

Arsenal fans can finally buy Olivier Giroud Arsenal jerseys and get the right number, as the club announced the shirt numbers for the upcoming season. Other shirt number changes include Wojciech Szczesny's gaining of the #1 shirt now that Manuel Almunia has finally departed and Francis Coquelin's promotion to a number below 30, as he's been given the #22. All of this is no great surprise to the hawk eyed training picture viewers, as all three had been wearing training shirts and shorts that featured their new number.

Lukas Podolski, though, has not yet been awarded a number for the upcoming season, unless Arsenal are allowed to register a player with the number 'TBC' on the back of his shirt. More likely, though, is that Podolski is waiting for a traditional shirt number for a striker to open up; either Park Ju-Young's #9, or Robin van Persie's #10. Given the fact that Podolski wore #10 for Germany at the last Euros and for his last club, Köln, he's probably waiting for Robin van Persie to leave before taking the #10.

Those amongst you who are shirt number traditionalists will be glad to know that the #10 will go to a player who does, at least, play in an attacking position, and not a defender. You will be disappointed, though, to find out that Abou Diaby retains the #2.

The only other shirt number change sees Kyle Bartley take the #35 shirt, which, if previous shirt numbers are to be believed, shows that he's definitely the fifth-choice centre back.