Arsenal Open Talks With Walcott Over New Deal As Striker Agrees £80k Extension

Arsenal have opened talks with Theo Walcott over a new and have already agreed terms with Olivier Giroud over a new two-year extension worth £80,000-a-week, according to the Telegraph.

Walcott is closing in on a comeback after rupturing a cruciate ligament in his knee against Tottenham back in January and is expected to resume full training after the upcoming international break.

With his contract due to expire in 2016, it appears Arsenal chiefs are keen to tie him down to fresh terms as soon as possible as the Telegraph claim initial talks were opened with the players camp earlier this month and although no deal has been agreed as yet, further negotiations are due to take place shortly.

The last thing we want is for Walcott to get to next summer with just a year remaining on his contract so it makes perfect sense to try and get an extension agreed now and settle his future before any speculation even starts.

While there is still some work to do before Walcott commits his future to Arsenal, the Telegraph claim that fellow forward Olivier Giroud has already signed a new two-year extension keeping him at the club until 2018.

Giroud’s current deal was also due to expire in 2016 but the newspaper suggests that we’ve swiftly agreed terms over a new deal worth £80,000-a-week, with the French international becoming the latest player to commit his future to the club.

The 28-year-old is currently on the sidelines with a broken tibia that’s expected to keep him out until the New Year and some fans have called for the former Montpellier hitman to be sold due to his lack of pace and mobility up front.

Giroud has managed to score 41 goals in his 102 appearances since moving to the Emirates in 2012 and he does offer us a real physical presence up front, but he can be a hugely frustrating player at times.

However, it appears Arsene Wenger is convinced Giroud still has plenty to offer and a new deal for the Frenchman indicates that the boss is content with his striking options at the club. Once he returns from injury, Giroud will battle it out with summer signings Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez for a starting spot up front.