Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has recently declared that Theo Walcott will not be going anywhere in January. The England international though could be able to sign a pre-contract deal which could be mouth-watering for clubs interested in the forward.
Walcott’s current contract is set to expire July 2013 but talks over extension have apparently been stalled as he has been looking for a more central role in the Arsenal formation. So far, since the summer, Theo has been linked with Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool. These three clubs all have the necessary funds to attract and entice Walcott to leave the Gunners.
The primary concern for Walcott is to play regularly and the money issue of course. This problem has not been solved yet due to the form of his rivals Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud.
The former Southampton player though has deserved to play regularly. He has scored 9 goals in 15 appearances for Arsenal; the most recent coming the the 5-2 North London derby.
When asked if Theo Walcott would leave in January, Wenger told reporters: “No. Will he stay until the end of the season? Yes.
“If I listened to the media every day it gets more expensive. We continue in a positive way. We have until the end of December to sort it out.
“He can play both positions. He can play up front, and he can play up front with Giroud as well. He has found a good mixture on the wing. It makes him difficult to stop. He finished as a centre forward and he scored.
“With the midfield we have Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta, in any position they will find you if you move well.”
I personally think we must keep Theo Walcott. Not as a central forward though, but as his regular position which is a winger. His pace and desire for attack bring something very much needed at Arsenal, and the team have looked much better with him on the pitch.
Walcott must understand that he benefits the team out wide not centrally. A pure example is the North London match where he played brilliant crosses for Giroud to convert from.
Walcott, who earns £75,000 a week, wants closer to £100,000 to sign on again. The question for Arsenal though is: Is he really worth that much?
This will be quite a debate for the Arsenal board especially if they will be losing another influential player from their squad.
