Former Liverpool defender and ESPN FC pundit, Steve Nicol, reckons that Olivier Giroud will leave Arsenal in January but Mesut Ozil, as recent reports claim, will stay.

Nicol reckons that Arsenal have to offer Ozil the contract he wants because allowing the German and Alexis Sanchez to both leave would be disastrous.

“I would suggest he has to stay,” Nicol said.

“There’s no way Arsenal can let both him and Alexis Sanchez go. 

“I think they will figure something out, so I think Mesut Ozil stays.”

Ozil and Alexis both have six months left on their current deals with Arsenal and while Alexis looks certain to leave, Ozil is reportedly ready to sign an extension soon.

If the playmaker does finally put pen to paper, it’ll be a huge result. However, as well as Alexis, the Gunners could lose another man soon and that’s Olivier Giroud, according to Nicol.

“If he wants to play, he has to leave Arsenal and I do believe that he wants to play,” Nicol said.

“I think if he has a decent World Cup that’s certainly going to help his case because he will be with France. 

“So, absolutely he has to go, he can’t stay at Arsenal.”

Giroud has really struggled for game time again this season and has just 18 months left on his contract. Therefore, with the World Cup next year, the France international could look to move in January in search of a first team spot elsewhere.

During the summer, Everton were close to signing the 31-year-old but he chose to stay in north London and fight for a place at Arsenal. With the Toffees still struggling for goals, it could be a match made in heaven.

As Nicol says, the big buy is unlikely to make many more first team starts under Arsene Wenger. Not with Alexandre Lacazette now in the team.