Arsenal

Arsenal Bracing Themselves For Walcott Bids As Talks Continue To Stall

Arsenal are bracing themselves for a number of January bids for contract rebel Theo Walcott, with Juventus, Liverpool and Manchester City all in for the winger

by
Football Talk
October 23, 2012

Despite the transfer window being closed, there is always transfer gossip doing the rounds in the papers and we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest news during the coming months. Today, Juventus step up their interest in Theo Walcott.

Arsenal are bracing themselves for a number of January bids for contract rebel Theo Walcott, with Juventus ready to compete with Liverpool and Manchester City for the winger, according to the Daily Mail.

Juve coach Antonio Conte is believed to be a huge admirer of Walcott’s and has instructed his bosses to launch a bid for the Gunners forward in January after monitoring his form for well over a year.

Conte is keen to link the England speedster up with Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, with the Italians ready to lure the Spanish hitman to Serie A with a £145,000-a-week deal.

Walcott’s future in North London is in serious doubt as he is yet to agree a contract extension, despite having little over 8 months remaining on his current deal and boss Arsene Wenger confirmed on Tuesday that they are no closer to agreeing terms. The Frenchman is unwilling to match Walcott’s wage demands – believed to be £100,00-a-week – while the player is also keen for more playing time up front.

The impasse has not only alerted Juventus but also Arsenal’s domestic rivals Liverpool and Manchester City as well as PSG, who are all thought to be considering a January move should the 23-year-old still fail to sign a new extension at the Emirates.

Juve and PSG hold an advantage over the Premier League duo as they will be able to open talks with Walcott over a potential pre-contract agreement in January, while Liverpool and City would have to wait until Walcott’s out-of-contract in June.

However, it’s understood that all parties would prefer to sign the pacey forward this winter and will look to take advantage of his contract situation and pick him up in a cut-price deal.

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