France coach Didier Deschamps has said Olivier Giroud should leave Chelsea in the January transfer window.
Although the striker remains an important figure for France after helping them to World Cup success in Russia back in 2018 despite not scoring a single goal, Deschamps had previously said that it was getting harder to keep calling the former Arsenal and Montpellier man up because of a lack of game time.
Speaking with TF1's Telefoot about the possibility of Giroud changing clubs this month, Deschamps was clear that six appearances and a total of 209 minutes across all competitions is insufficient for France's third-highest goal scorer of all-time ahead of the 2020 European Championships.
"I spoke with Olivier during the last international camp [November]," Deschamps said. "Even during the one before, he already knew what is best for him.
"Olivier is not happy at this moment, based on the little playing time he is getting. It is not his fault; he is suffering through the situation.
"It is up to him to decide in order to have the best sporting conditions on a daily basis at club level."
When asked if Giroud should leave Chelsea, Deschamps added: "I think yes. He knows very well he cannot be content with so little time. That is not even speaking about France, that is just on him.
"It is up to him to see which destination he prefers or chooses."
Giroud has made just two Premier League starts this season and is yet to register a single goal or assist.
He played more time with France in Euro 2020 qualification than for Chelsea since the start of the 2019-20 campaign, scoring four times from six outings for his country.
