With the Metro and a number of other sources reporting that Theo Walcott is set to sit down with Arsene Wenger over the next few weeks to discuss his future with the club, it seems the wayward wingers Arsenal future hangs in the balance. This raises a couple of questions: is it time for Theo Walcott to move on and should he do so would he be missed in the same way the Gunners have missed Samir Nasri and CescFabregas this season?
These talks are probably occurring in light of the prolonged transfer sagas that consumed Arsenal over the summer concerning these two players. Arsenal’s hand was forced in both cases and they were forced to sell both players without having had any time to draft any players in to replace them and this was reflected in the haphazard and downright shoddy start the Gunners had to their season.
Wenger will be keen to establish whether Theo Walcott wants to be a part of Arsenal’s long-term future, what his wage-demands are and whether he’s likely to force the club’s hand by winding down the time left on his contract and leaving on a free.
After all, if Theo is to leave the club, Wenger will want to see a good return on the £12m that he spent on bringing the former-Saints star to the club. He’s been linked to Juventus already this January and there are sure to be plenty more interested parties were Arsenal to offer him to the footballing world.
There’s no sure way of knowing his demands (though the Metro claims he’s asking for £100k a week) or how sincere he is about staying with Arsenal. It is worth considering, however, whether it’s time for the Gunners to cash in.
I can think of no other player in the Arsenal roster that inspires fan’s ire more than Theo Walcott. The main issue must surely be that the talent is there for all to see – he’s one of the fastest players in world football, has got good shooting technique and can knock in a good cross every now and then. His ability to perform consistently, however, remains in question.
Theo has an uncanny knack for grabbing a goal or an assist and then doing nothing for the rest of the game. Whether this is telling of a form of complacency buried deep down within Walcott’s game is unclear, but it’s certainly something that Wenger will have to consider.
If the only consistency in Theo’s game is to be inconsistency, then £100k a week is too much to ask for. But if Wenger genuinely believes that Walcott can up his game and perform for 90 minutes on a weekly basis and make something of himself at Arsenal, then he has to snap him up. After all, another high-profile loss would have the media raving about Arsenal’s untimely demise and we’ve all had enough of that.
What’s your take? Should Arsene seek to keep Theo at any price?
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i have never understood the hatred against theo…
arsenal only realizes his potential against teams they cannot beat like Barcelona..all of a sudden he becomes someone to look out for. if he played with the invisible he would get on average 10 through passes a game coz even half fast players like ljumberg got them.
OAC over Theo anytime!
Master pjohnson`s tirade assumes I`m deaf as well as lackng his own penatrating grasp of football talent, You quote your perception in recognising the total absence of talent over half your lifetime? Ive been a season ticket holder for
ten times that period and written on football matters for National newspapers. You shout a lot but havn`t touched on the views I expressed.Read my words again ad try not to sink to personal abuse it`s irrelevent,revealing and inaccurate.
Theo is frustrating with one great shift in every six but he’s definitely worth keeping. Though he has been slow to improve his game he is only 22 & is close to being a top player.
What we should be looking for is Theo AND Ox, not one or the other.
Which of you, rushing to blame Walcott for inconsistancy, would have also dumped Henry and Viarra at 22? Famous Italian coaches couldn`t wait for them to develop. Aftr a short barren spell, out went Bergkamp too, Ian Wright was a gamble at 26. Sheringham and McLintock came good in their thirties. Meanwhile, wonderkids like Reyes anf Jeffers never fufilled their early promise. Yet you are prepared to pontificate on the futures of Walcott and Rambo! Brilliant.
Roland is down on Walcott for losing posession. The `in` word consistancy therefore demands that Song is the first one out of the door. He was caught in posession frequently on Sunday. It happens. In the England squad, perhaps only four might be regarded as consistant. Half of most England squads lack, what is demanded of our youngsters immediatly. Wales have that many from a tiny pool. Would you cast aside every player who is inconsistant? or just our young prospects? Your views should be……consistant.
I agree that Ex-Cel is a great, fast-developing prospect. But both he and Walcott say they differ and should not be directly compared. Despite his encouraging start, I recall a knowledgeable Everton man, stating firmly that the future of England`s attack rested with Jenners. Similar optimism heralded the early days of Bentley,Reyes and Pennent, to name only some of ours who faded. We`ve room for various youngsters to develop, at different rates.