Theo Walcott delays contract talks with Arsenal

Bengaluru, December 10: Out of favour Arsenal star Theo Walcott has delayed his talks over a new Arsenal deal until the end of the season, according to reports in England.

Everton, West Ham and Southampton have all expressed an interest in the England winger who has found it hard to get playing time this season for the Gunners.

Walcott’s last three games for the Gunners have come in the past three months – but they were in the EFL Cup in October and the Europa League in November and December.

Walcott’s last game for Arsenal in the Premier League was the 2-0 win over Brighton on October 1.

On top of that, the 28-year-old is one of six first-team players whose deals at the club expire in little more than 18 months.

The Times say Walcott will now put on hold negotiations over a proposed new deal until the summer of next year as he is said to be unhappy due to lack of time on the pitch.

The former Southampton star has talked about his frustration at a lack of playing time before.

He moaned about not starting games regularly after he scored his 23rd goal in the past two seasons against BATE Borisov in the Europa League on Thursday (December 7).

The big issue for the club as a whole is that they face another summer of uncertainty over contracts. The north London giants face the danger of losing as many as six players in the summer for absolutely nothing.

Wenger recently admitted to no new contract talks with Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere.

The French manager wants their futures sorted out before the transfer window opens on New Year’s Day. But Wenger is still no closer to knowing whether his midfield stars will leave as free agents in the summer and that is a major concern for the manager as well as the fans.