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Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla have both agreed to sign contract extensions with Arsenal, according to the official Arsenal website. The two players have been integral to the Arsenal set-up in recent seasons, and the agreement will put an end to all speculation about the two players’ futures ahead of the new season.
26-year-old England international Theo Walcott has been associated with the North London club since he moved from Southampton as the age of 16. The forward has scored 50 goals in 208 Premier League appearances so far and despite beginning his career as a winger, he has become a lot more versatile in his 10 years at the club and is often played by manager Arsene Wenger as the main striker these days.
Walcott missed the latter half of the 2013/14 season due to an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury and only came back to action towards the end of 2014. He scored a first-half hat-trick against West Brom in the final Premier League match of the season, and also scored the opener in Arsenal’s 4-0 FA Cup final victory against Aston Villa.
Santi Cazorla joined Arsenal in 2012 and has been a first-team regular ever since. The gifted midfielder has made 106 league appearances and scored 23 goals for the Gunners, with his most notable strike coming in the 2014 FA Cup Final victory over Hull City.
The 30-year-old Spanish international enjoyed a stellar 2014-15 season, helping his side finish third and win the FA Cup for the second season running. He was reinvented as a deep midfielder alongside Coquelin in the second half of the season, and was a revelation in his new position.
Both players important to Arsenal squad: Wenger
Arsène Wenger was delighted when asked about the contract signings, and the Frenchman said: “We’re delighted to have extended the contracts of Santi and Theo. Both are top quality players who are hugely important and influential to our squad.
"As well as their huge contributions on the pitch, they both have a great deal of experience and are very popular off the pitch. We’re very pleased with them both signing contract extensions, as it provides our squad with further stability of quality.” he added
Both players were linked with moves away from Arsenal in the recent transfer window. Walcott had only one year left on his contract before signing this deal and had been stalling it ever since he returned from injury in late November last year. Santi Cazorla was linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, who were on the lookout for a replacement for Barcelona-bound Arda Turan.
