Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that he wants to keep Theo Walcott at Arsenal, despite reports that the manager may be looking to trade the winger with Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling in a blockbuster Premier League transfer.
With Walcott coming to the final year of his contract and having made just three Premier League appearances out of 13 appearances across all competitions, there was speculation that Walcott’s time with Arsenal could be coming to an end. Though Walcott suffered an injury which has sidelined him for much of this season, for many it still appeared that Wenger was looking to build a team without Walcott, though the manager insists that is not the case.
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When asked by Sky Sports whether or not Walcott still has a future with Arsenal, Wenger replied: “Yes, I’m confident. I believe Theo has a great future. He’s just coming back from a very, very difficult injury and every week he’s getting better.
“He’s very young and I believe he will have a great goalscoring record in future because of the quality and intelligence of his game, therefore I would like him to stay with our club.”
There had been rumours that Raheem Sterling, Walcott’s England teammate, could be moving to the Emirates and away from Anfield, with Liverpool reportedly showing a keen interest in luring Walcott away from his club. With Walcott allegedly not concerned about the financial aspect of his contract and more interested in being a crucial first-team player, it was suggested that his relegation to the sidelines was going to have an impact upon his decision, with transfer talks for the 26-year-old set to open soon.
