5 Arsenal players who may leave the club in January

#2 Olivier Giroud

Giroud must surely be considering his options especially in a World Cup year

Surprisingly enough, Arsenal's second choice striker remains in Didier Deschamps' plans for his France squad for the World Cup.

And it is not without reason - Giroud always seems to deliver whenever called upon for his national team. For all their attacking options up front, the French team lacks a striker like Giroud who can physically dominate opposition defenders.

He's been very useful for Arsenal over the years, and in spite of criticism from some quarters regarding his playing style, 72 league goals over 5 seasons say otherwise.

He has 11 Premier League appearances this season, but largely as the second choice for new signing Alexandre Lacazette.

While Giroud is already 31 years old, his main concern regarding the reduced game time at Arsenal is the possibility of not making it to the World Cup.

French coach Didier Deschamps recently warned him that a lack of playing time will be a factor in his selection next year.

This should be a pressing issue for Giroud, given that Russia might be his last chance at international glory (and that's a very good possibility considering the insanely talented French squad).

Everton was heavily linked to Diego Costa and Giroud in the summer to replace the departing Romelu Lukaku, but Arsenal was firm in their conviction to hold on to him.

But if the Frenchman decides to leave in January, Wenger may have a battle on his hands to convince him otherwise.