Arsenal will reportedly be holding talks with Walcott around next week as they seek to come to an agreement with the 23-year-old over a possible new contract with the club.
Theo’s current deal will be expiring at the end of the season and he will be able to speak to overseas clubs from January about a Bosman free transfer. However, Goal.com reports that fresh talks are about to take place between the clubs and Walcott’s representatives in what is being described as a last-ditch bid to wrap up a new deal.
Walcott is believed to want a pay rise from his current wage, said to be around £60-65,000 a week to closer to the £100,000 a week earned by many of his England colleagues at Euro 2012 this summer. Goal.com suggests that Walcott is worth the pay rise considering the 40 percent increase given to the club’s chief executive Ivan Gazidis as a reward for increased profitability. The website points out that the club’s rising profits are due more to Arsene Wenger selling some of the club’s top players in the transfer market rather than the performance of the club’s top brass.
Walcott scored a hat-trick last night as Arsenal came from 4-0 down to secure a remarkable 7-5 victory over Reading the fourth round of the Carling Cup but his position in the side is also said to be up for discussion with Walcott said to be keen on playing in an out-and-out striking role rather than as a winger. Last night’s three-goal salvo will come as a reminder to Wenger.
It is thought that the two sides have just one more month to come to an agreement and if Walcott doesn’t sign a new contract by the end of November his name will be circulated to other clubs and he will be sold at the beginning of the January transfer window. That will give Arsene Wenger the rest of the month to recruit a replacement.
Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are all said to be interested, along with Serie A giants Juventus while Arsenal are being linked with Newcastle United’s Hatem Ben Arfa, according to some reports.
