Should Arsenal satisfy England international’s expected contract demands?

Back in January 2013, Theo Walcott’s Arsenal contract was worn down to a nub. January arrived and he was legally free to liaise with European clubs over a contract away from his employers. With Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Alex Song having recently swaggered out of the Emirates exit door, losing another high profile player in the shape of Walcott would have represented political dynamite with the Gunners fan base.

Walcott held the cards and he knew it. With Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski still bedding in, Walcott became Arsenal’s key attacking player. He amassed 21 goals during that season and his contract demands centred on his desire to be played as an out and out striker. Wenger struck something of a compromise, retaining him at the right of Arsenal’s front three, but allowing him license to join Olivier Giroud as a strike partner as soon as Arsenal had possession of the ball.

Fast forward two years and Walcott’s contract is once again on the manager’s agenda. With just under 18-months to run on his current deal, Arsenal will again search for an agreement with their England international. Only this time, Theo’s hand is not as strong. In 2012-13 he was Arsenal’s main source of goals and the team was constructed with his strengths in mind. He was also one of the few Gunners’ attackers that possessed explosiveness and pace.

In Giroud, Alexis, Welbeck, Cazorla, Özil and Ramsey, Arsenal’s goal threat is more varied than it was in the early stages of 2013. During Walcott’s extended injury absence, both Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez have been added to the team’s forward line, both of whom possess pace and penetration. In the meantime, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s game has also developed significantly. He is increasing his goal threat, works much harder defensively than Walcott and he also adds variety to the Arsenal front line.

His directness running at full-backs pulls defences out of shape, an attribute that is probably matched only by Tomas Rosicky in the Arsenal squad. Walcott is still an excellent goalscorer and continues to find his feet after an injury layoff. But increasingly, Wenger seems to prefer the technical security and superior defensive output of Welbeck and Chamberlain on the right hand side. Theo is by no means surplus to requirements, but at this very moment in time, he is very much as a supersub and he’s going to have to prove he is worth a more significant role than that before the summer.

Otherwise, it will be difficult for Arsenal to justify satisfying Walcott’s likely contract demands. His last deal earned him parity with the club’s biggest earners. At the moment, his status is not commensurate with earning such terms again. He might be persuaded to do as Aaron Ramsey did and sign up for a modest rise on the understanding that his terms will be reviewed swiftly should his status alter. However, a club like Liverpool might consider Walcott a good foil for Daniel Sturridge and offer Theo the terms he would like- both financially and sportingly- more immediately than Arsenal. Walcott will need to work on his shortfalls- such as his technique and his defensive game- or else he may cast a knowing eye at Lukas Podolski, who found out that simply scoring goals is not enough to achieve primacy in the team’s new look attack.