Walcott 'rejected' big money summer move
Theo Walcott has expressed his desire to stay at Arsenal despite letting contract negotiations with the club run, revealing that he’s showed his commitment by turning down a ‘big money’ summer move.
England star Walcott, 23, has been the subject of media speculation about his future as he and Gunners officials have been unable to agree on an extension to his current deal which ends next year.
Arsenal are keen to avoid another high profile departure following Robin van Persie and Alex Song’s summer exits from the club, while Walcott himself affirms that he’s ‘never’ wanted to go elsewhere.
“I’ve never said I wanted to go. I’ve always said I wanted to be an Arsenal player,” Walcott said at the FA’s “Just Play” event in London.
“I’ve never been influenced by the money, it’s never been about that. I’m not that sort of person at all. It’s always been a football decision for me. If it was about the money, I would’ve gone in the summer.
“Hopefully, something can be sorted…we’re just waiting for the club to come back to us and go from there. Hopefully, I can get back in that team and start playing again.”
Negotiations are expected to be held throughout this week with former Southampton forward Walcott, while several European sides continue to keep tabs on his contract situation at Emirates Stadium.
What are your thoughts on Walcott’s ongoing contract talks with the club? Should the club cut their losses and sell him if he doesn’t sign before 2013? Or would you offer him an £100,000-a-week bumper deal to keep him happy?
Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Sign up Theo! Wenger should give him a chance up front if its not working out switch back to the right during the match, wenger should give him a shot there after gervinho has been played through middle.For all his poor first touch and hopeless runs he’s a much better finisher than gerv, but gerv is a proper winger taking on his man and beating him!
Wenger should keep Walcott
If he really wants to play for Arsenal, he shouldn’t be sold but at the same time Walcott cannot tell Wenger what position he will play. It’s the manager’s decision.
Id give him a chance up top in a cup match to see how it goes. Would love to keep him, wish he would embracr
The supersub role. Nothing like his pace going at a tired D, but with Ox now and with Ryo up and coming, wouldn’t be the end of the world of he goes.
I think Theo’s requests to play up top are fair enough. He’s said for years it’s what he want’s to do and has never complained when playing on the right. I do however feel his chances of playing up front with us are slim. He is not clever enough with his runs and his first touch is not deadly which is needed. His lack of aerial ability (vital when playing as a lone striker)is also a big problem for him. With Olivier Giroud struggling to find form he may be given a chance to show what he can do but I honestly see him leaving the club in the summer or possibly January.
I think Theo deserves a chance to play in his preffered position. We can experiment in games like tomorrow. 4-4-2 with Giroud and Walcott up front will be lethal.
sell him. Genuinely not good enough. Nice guy but for the money you should get for him plus those wages infinitely better options, inside & outside the club. Kill me if they pay him £100k per week.
Walcott should sign a new deal as he said he wants to be come a legend like Henry then prove it show us ur loyalty like Henry did and respect the manager like he showed the faith in theo
I reckon we should give Theo a chance up-front. Gervinho’s had his chance to play up-top by doing virtually nothing last season. Don’t get me wrong, Gervinho has done great in the games he’s scored in but he’s too inconsistent in front of goal. Walcott should be given a chance in my opinion!
Theo garuntees minimum 10-12 goals at the moment without even considering the improvements he can still make as a 23 yr old. Gervinho at 25 can’t & I’m wonder if he ever will. No brainer. Goals win games
AFC should offer Theo 70k per week and play him up front if he really acknowledges nothing has to do with money. Good squad player to have but not a crisis if he leaves.
He is very experienced 23 year old and a good professional. He’s owed a chance up front, after 7 years of service at the club.
Walcott shoud take 75 and have a chance as striker
Come on gooners, Walcott is pretty quick amd can provide goals an assist as well! Let’s hope he stays!
I personally believe in Theo ability more than Gervo. If Theo believe’s in Arsenal, why can’t Arsenal believe in him to offer him what is best to keep him in the club. For me, give him 100,000 per week and he will justify it.
Wenger has promised this to Theo from day one. Theo is warranted in his actions. I think he’ll be spectactular up top
Case in point:
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-walcott-will-make-it-at-arsenal
if he definitely won’t accept P75k, then we should pay him the 100k, sign him then sell for the first decent offer that comes in.
I think Walcot’s finishing is much better than that of Gervinho. The only problem for him is that he is not technically gifted like Gervinho and always find it hard to go past his opponent. But i would have liked that the Manager try playing as a centre forward atleast in some few game or few minutes if the game is already won.
It’s a hard one!! I think Gervinhos ability to beat his man is defo better than Theo’s plus I would say his movement is
Also superior to TW!! Theo is a better finisher but I still don’t think he’s consistent enough to be starting for the gunners week in week out. We got OX, Ryo and Gnabry coming through on the flanks and I honestly don’t think Theo will be missed that much of he departs
only one Theo doesn’t have to be a top world class player. Consistency. one never be a world class player if one not have consistency of their good performance. and 100K Pound/week for player who doesn’t have consistency is just ridiculous.
Theo is far more clinical than Gervo. Am not disrespecting Gervo, if the chances he had against Manchester City came Theo’s way, it would be buried by Theo. I can bet all my money on that and Theo wouldn’t fail me.
Personally I’m not a big fan of Theo’s skills. I prefer the Ox or Gervinho to play on the right wing, but though I’d like to see that board is doing everything they can to do him stay. In my opinion he’s not worth 100k/week but he should be paid something around 70k. Also I’d like to see him playing up front as a striker where he wnats to play, then he should show everything he can and prove Arsene and the whole rest that they’re wrong when they told him to play on the wing. Maybe then he can make me love him, but for now in my opinion his best thing, but speed, is his nationality. I’d love Arsenal to be a bit more british 😉
I wonder why Arsene plays Gervimho upfront but doesnt want to give this great lad a chance. His first touch and finishing are far better than Gerv and he proved it last season. Wenger wants to get rid of him so that he can give chance to some of the youth team players which will be very stupid of a manager who wants to win something. Especially looking at our CFs, Theo will be like a new signing. And those writing him off should remember Henry and rvp were not strikers.
There is far more to being a striker than finishing ability, who knows if Theo would even get the chances Gervinho got. Gervinho for all his faults makes great runs and moves off the ball well to set up others with space. Plus he is much better in tight spaces. Gervinho is wasteful but he has shown how well he stretches defenses.
If Theo can prove his movement then he will be a very good striker but with poor movement and not being able to hold up play and set up others, it won’t matter if he’s a good finisher or not.
Wenger isn’t holding Theo back, Theo has held himself back with unconvincing displays of intelligence and I can see why Wenger trusts Gervinho the most through the center right now. Why should Wenger think Theo will be more consistent through the center than he is on the wing?
as far as theo walcolt want 2 play up front Wenger should fixture him and try him , giroud is try not as walcolt .
My feeling is that Theo staying or going depends on if we can find a replacement. Lots of people marvel about how many wingers Arsenal have, but in truth, we’re lacking wingers. Remember, Ramsey played on the right against City, although did do quite well.
Walcott sits in the wage bracket that Arsenal see him in, the 75k range. I would be okay with 80k, but definitely not more, because of his lack of starts. However, if he’s not happy with that kind of pay, we’re better off selling him to the highest bidder, and hopefully we can get somewhere in between 10-20 mil (he’s English, so he’ll be sold at an inflated price). We need to find a replacement before we sell, though, just like Wenger did when he bought Podolski and Giroud as insurance for if Van Persie left.