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The German veteran has played just twice for his club since making two blunders in consecutive games at the start of the season.

Lehmann recently turned down a potential loan move to Borussia Dortmund and will quit if he is unable to find a suitable permanent deal.

The 38-year-old insisted Arsene Wenger was wrong to axe him for Spaniard Manuel Almunia but said he had not given up hope of returning to the first team.

"If the same criteria were applied to Almunia as they are to me, I would have been back in the team a long time ago," he said.

"But I am optimistic, and I go into every training session feeling I will soon be back playing. It is highly unlikely I would join another club in England.

"It troubles me greatly I'm not getting games, but that is the only thing I disagree about with Arsene Wenger.

"There is a 50 per cent chance I could retire soon. It depends what offers I receive."

Lehmann said he refused the Dortmund loan because he did not feel safe leaving his family in London.

"Crime levels are really high in London," he said. "I would not feel comfortable about leaving my wife and children alone there.

"I would have made more money had I joined Dortmund for five months, but it would have been less favourable for my family.

"I didn't want to make the children change schools for such a short period, and they didn't want to move.

"My wife and I did not want to disrupt their happiness simply because their Dad made a couple of mistakes at the start of the season and now has to sit on the subs' bench."

Eurosport