Wenger Confirms Arsenal Have Opened Contract Talks With Theo Walcott

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that contract extension talks with Theo Walcott are already underway as the club look to tie him down to a new long-term deal.

After lengthy negotiations two years ago, Walcott eventually signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal back in January 2013 worth a reported £100,000-a-week.

However, that contract will have just 18 months left to run at the turn of the year and understandably the club are reluctant to allow Theo to get to the summer without signing an extension.

Wenger has confirmed that talks are now underway with the 25-year-old about a fresh deal and admitted that negotiations with Walcott’s camp are never easy, but with the attacker now entering his best years, he’s desperate to see him commit his future to the club.

“We are starting to sit down with him [Walcott],”

“I think he has one and a half years to go on his contract in December and it is never an easy job with him, you know.”

“Will he be at his peak in the next few years? He should be, yes,”

“He is 25. It is the best years now so hopefully we can profit from that.” Wenger is quoted as saying by Sky Sports

Walcott has only just returned from 10 months on the sidelines with a serious knee injury but looked sharp when he came off the bench for an impressive 10 minute cameo against Burnley on Saturday and is likely to be involved against Anderlecht tonight.

Before picking up his injury in January, Walcott had established himself as a key player for Arsenal and I really think we’ve missed him over the past 10 months so it’s vital we tie him down to a new deal as soon as possible.

You’d expect he’s going to have to join our top earners like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez and I think Theo warrants a deal worth in the region of £140,000-a-week in today’s market. He’d certainly be able to get that kind of money, if not more, if he left the club so fingers crossed the Arsenal hierarchy are prepared to pay him what he’s worth.