According to reports from The Guardian yesterday evening, Theo Walcott is hoping to sign a contract worth over £100k per week at Arsenal.
The England winger boasts 76 goals in 302 appearances for the north London outfit – including the opening strike in Arsenal’s 4-0 thumping of Aston Villa in last season’s FA Cup final – since arriving as a teenager from Southampton in January 2006.
But the 26 year-old’s future at the Emirates is shrouded in doubt with his current contract set to expire at the end of next season; a situation which has seen Walcott linked to divisional rivals Chelsea and Liverpool this summer.
According to The Guardian, the issue would appear to be wages. They claim Walcott believes he’s worth over £100k per-week, being now the Gunners’ longest serving player following the release of Abu Diaby and already earning £90k per-week.
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The 40-cap international, however, insists he has no concerns letting negotiations over a new deal trickle into the start of next season.
He said; “My agent has talked to the club, I enjoy playing for this club so I am just letting them crack on with things and I’ll continue playing football. If it happens it happens. We’ll just play the waiting game and see what happens but I’m sure it won’t be long.”
Asked if he would be comfortable with talks dragging into the new season, he responded: “Definitely. It’s not in my thought process at all. You don’t want to dwell on it, you want to play well and if it happens it happens.
“I won’t let that delay the way I’m going to be playing this season. I can’t let that affect me, I want to do well for this club,” he added.