Arsene Wenger Insists 'Important' Olivier Giroud Will Not Be Leaving Arsenal in January

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that impact striker Olivier Giroud will be going nowhere when the transfer window opens next month as the Frenchman remains an 'important' player after his latest goal secured a point against Southampton on Sunday.

With the 2018 World Cup on the horizon and his inclusion in the France squad not guaranteed, Giroud has been linked with a January move away from Arsenal after failing to start a single Premier League game all season.

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All 13 of Giroud's league appearances have come as a substitute, with Sunday afternoon yet another indication of the role he plays in the Arsenal team.

But when Wenger was quizzed about the 31-year-old's immediate future after the game, he promised that Giroud 'will start games' and effectively declared the subject over.

"Why should we lose an important player?" the Gunners boss is quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror after the 1-1 draw on the south coast.

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"Is it up to him or up to us? It's up to us. It's a remarkable achievement what he has done again today," Wenger further explained.

"He will start games. I consider Olivier Giroud as a regular player. We have to be grateful that he is part of a great team and one who can come on and make a difference with the right attitude and ability. He is a talent."

Giroud has scored four Premier League goals this season, including a late winner against Leicester on the opening day of the campaign back in August. He has been a regular starter in the Europa League, scoring three times during Arsenal's six group games.