Arsenal open to Theo Walcott sale in January

Bengaluru, December 5: Arsenal are reportedly open to the sale of their longest serving player Theo Walcott in January.

The England winger is not wanted by boss Arsene Wenger anymore and Arsenal will encourage offers for the winger in January as per the English media.

Premier League strugglers West Ham and former side Southampton are both understood to be keen on the signing of the English international.

The 28-year-old has been a bit-part figure this season, making just ten appearances, mostly in cup competitions. He has been a squad player for the Gunners for many a season now and should have moved much earlier for the sake of his career.

Wenger is planning to raise funds for his transfer kitty by offloading a number of fringe players over the next eight-months and Walcott is among those names.

The Gunners expect to lose Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil next year and that too for free and they must sign proper replacements of the duo if they want to be successful in the Premier League.

Mathieu Debuchy, Carl Jenkinson and Calum Chambers could also all be sold or loaned out next month.

Walcott joined Arsenal as a 16-year-old for £12m from Southampton as one of England's brightest talents and over the years, he has shown glimpses of his talent but has never been able to impress on a consistent basis.

On top of that, Walcott has always been unlucky with injury problems which has played a major role in his dip in career.

He has gone on to have a low-key career at the Emirates, winning three FA Cup trophies.

The Three Lions ace has scored 65 goals in 267 Premier League appearances for the club and could still prove to be a big player for any of the mid-table clubs.