Olivier Giroud wants to leave Arsenal in January, says agent

Olivier Giroud wants to leave Arsenal in January and hopes Arsene Wenger will allow him to find regular playing time, says the striker’s agent. 

The 31-year-old has failed to establish himself as a first-team regular at Arsenal this season and fears for his spot in the France squad at the 2018 World Cup. 

Giroud is currently waiting to discover the extent of a hamstring injury he suffered on Tuesday night but will almost certainly be sidelined for at least three weeks, meaning he may have already played his last game for the club. 

The France international was heavily linked with a move to Everton in the summer and now his agent, Michael Manuello, hopes Wenger will reverse his position and let Giroud leave next month. 

“Arsene Wenger’s position [not wanting Giroud to leave] could make things complicated,” he told Foot Mercato, via Get French Football. “But in terms of going on strike, these sorts of things are not in Olivier’s nature nor is it in mine. 

“We are still working in harmony. It is normal that Arsene takes this position publicly. This is completely normal… Now, it depends on how the projects come in, we will get together around a table and discuss… The most important thing is to know whether or not this winter we will find a batter footballing project.

“Olivier will not be coming back to France. Unless there is a change in his personal position, today the intention is not to return to France. There has been no new approach from Marseille. I have no information that suggests Marseille are looking to contact us. 

“There will be approaches. All the clubs are looking for an attacker. We will have to be careful about what presents itself, we will try to convince Arsene to come back on what he said.”

However, Giroud is the least of Wenger’s concerns ahead of the January transfer window. Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere will all be in the final six months of their current deal next month, while Theo Walcott is also heavily linked with a move away. 

Giroud has only started 12 Premier League games since the start of last season and has turned into something of an effective substitute for Wenger in that time. In fact, the veteran striker has scored more goals as a substitute than any other Premier League player since August 2015 (10).