Arsenal

Walcott Reluctant To Join Liverpool

Arsenal’s Theo Walcott is reluctant to join Liverpool due to his preference for staying in London and the fact they are not seen as a step up from the Gunners

by
Football Talk
November 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, Theo Walcott is reluctant to join Liverpool.

Arsenal attacker Theo Walcott is reluctant to join Liverpool due to his preference for staying in London and the fact the Reds are not seen as a step up from the Gunners, according to the Daily Mail.

The 23-year-old’s future has been under intense scrutiny after he turned down Arsenal’s offer of a contract extension in the summer. With less than 8 months left to run on his current deal, Walcott could be on the move as soon as January if Arsenal decide to cash in rather than lose him on a free next summer.

Liverpool and Chelsea are among the clubs strongly linked with a move and the Premier League duo are ready to pounce should the former Southampton youngster fail to commit his future to the Gunners in the coming weeks.

However, Brendan Rodgers is going to have to work hard to try and persuade the England international to move to Liverpool with Walcott believed to have reservations about moving to Merseyside.

The Stanmore-born ace want’s to remain in London and with his fiance also attending university in the capital, neither want to uproot and move up north.

Walcott is also questioning the wisdom in leaving a club who have been in the Champions League for the last 13 seasons, for one who have not qualified for the last three years and have little chance of qualifying for Europe’s premier competition next year after a poor start to this seasons Premier League campaign.

Walcott’s agent also represents Brendan Rodgers, so he’s aware of Liverpool’s interest and their willingness to meet his wage demands, but it seems a move to the Reds is unlikely now.

A move to Chelsea would ensure Walcott remained in London and competed for trophies each year, but he’d be considered nothing more than a squad player at Stamford Bridge, so it leaves his options limited.

This has left Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger confident he can find a compromise to ensure the forward remains at the Emirates, with the Frenchman making a personal plea to the Arsenal board last week to ask them to up their £75,000-a-week offer.

Do you think Walcott will stay at Arsenal? Get involved in the comments section.