Should Arsenal sell Theo Walcott?
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is reportedly torn over Theo Walcott’s North London future
No Arsenal player can both electrify or exasperate the Gunner fan base quite like forward Theo Walcott. His baffling form makes him one of this summer’s most interesting transfer stories to watch.
The Telegraph reports that Walcott and Wenger are set for “showdown talks” over the Englishman’s future with the North London club. Most in the football world were convinced Walcott was headed to West Ham just a few weeks ago, but the situation has been complicated significantly by Danny Welbeck’s latest injury.
Frankly it’s a pretty tough choice for Wenger. He, better than anyone on the planet, knows just how good and how poor Walcott can be. When he’s flying high, he can be a devastating offensive threat. However, when he’s out of form, he looks more like a Sunday League footballer than a Premier League standout.
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That’s why I believe that Wenger has no choice but to cut bait on Walcott. He’s given him every chance to succeed, but for whatever reason, the player just hasn’t been able to make it work. It’s probably best for both Arsenal and Walcott for him to seek greener pastures now.
The risk of letting him go is quite real though. The obvious chance Wenger is taking is leaving his club short of attacking options. While that would be true in the short-term, it’s impossible to think that Arsenal won’t be adding multiple attackers in the summer transfer window. To me, that eliminates any real concern over being short of attacking cover next season.
That leaves the only legitimate risk Wenger is taking to be a possible Walcott renaissance at another club. That’s just not likely to really occur for a player who’s already 27-years-old. We aren’t talking about a recent Academy product here. Walcott’s closer to the point where his career begins to decline than he is continuing any sort of upward trajectory.
If the offers of other clubs being willing to pay over 20 million pounds for Walcott are true, that’s a risk Wenger is going to have to live with. Those pounds could easily to reinvested in a player who can provide a great deal more consistency than Walcott. Sure, you may not get quite the same level of occasional brilliance, but it’s the price you pay for an attacker you can count on.
Related Story: Walcott would be boon or bust for West Ham
Arsene Wenger has often been accused of holding on to his players too long, and if he keeps Theo Walcott this summer fans can level that criticism at him once again.