Mikel Arteta has given Bernd Leno no assurances over his playing time with the German's spell at Arsenal perhaps up, according to reports.
The 29-year-old had been the club's first choice since arriving in 2018 but has been usurped by Aaron Ramsdale in recent weeks.
The Gunners pushed hard to sign the goalkeeper from Sheffield United in the summer as they made a conscious effort to bring in youth.
Ramsdale has played in Arsenal's last two games, keeping a clean sheet in each.
Eurosport understands that Leno will be available come the January market with the Gunners prepared to listen to offers.
Germany would appear the most likely destination for a man who had spent seven years at Bayer Leverkusen before joining Arsenal.
Arteta recently responded to claims he had told his German shotstopper that he would play in this weekend's north London derby.
He said: "I don't know where they are coming from but they are ahead of me!
"I am the one that picks the team at the weekend and sometimes I read things that I haven't decided yet. They give me ideas, at most, but I haven't made a decision for Saturday or the north London derby."
Ramsdale will be favourite to start with Leno set to feature in Wednesday night's Carabao Cup clash with AFC Wimbledon.
Nevertheless, Arteta's swift dismissal of the reports appear to tell their own story.
He was also quizzed on whether he'd given Leno any guarantees about his playing time going forward, to which the Arsenal boss responded: "No. That's what I said to them and I said to the goalkeepers in the last two or three years - that we don't want to do that.
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"What we want to do is empower performance and ask them to train behave and play the best possible way. How can I guarantee somebody something?
"It wouldn't make sense with what we are demanding them to do. So it is on a daily basis, what you did three months ago in football, it doesn't count.
"So is what you're going to do today and tomorrow, and that's it."
Leno was dropped for the win over Norwich and remained on the bench for the recent success at Burnley.
Arteta concedes the goalkeeper wasn't happy with the decision but has commended him on his subsequent reaction.
"Obviously for Bernd it wasn't a pleasing communication when I told him he wasn't playing but he is a top professional and a top person," Arteta claimed.
"He should be disappointed and he should support his team-mates like they've done every time he's played, which is exactly what he's done."
