There were a lot of negotiations going down at the Emirates when Walcott’s contract was about to expire. He seemed to have been going down the same path as Liverpool’s Sterling but agreed to terms at some point after the club decided to give him an impressive £110,000-a-week. The winger is now Arsenal’s third highest paid player after Sanchez and Ozil. Compared to the two, Walcott’s impact on the Gunners’ game has been minimal and his new contract now seems unjustified. Rumors had it he had the chance to leave in the summer of 2015 but chose to continue playing for Arsenal where he was supposed to become Giroud’s biggest competitor. Unfortunately, both him and the Frenchman underperformed drastically despite being in the top five best players in North London.

According to The Guardian, Wenger might not be willing to continue with the England international as per his recent statement: “I’m not in transfer mode at the moment but I think he has gone through a bad spell. He has responded very well, because he said: ‘OK, I will work harder and more.’ When he comes on now, you see he is motivated and focused. Let’s see how well he finishes the season.” It’s not often you hear the Frenchman in doubt regarding one of his players’ future. Who could blame him though when someone who gets paid 10 times more than youngsters who worked their way into the starting eleven and impressed (Campbell, Iwobi, Bellerin), does so little to help the Gunners?

The big question right now is if Wenger should have patience or if he should cash in because good or bad form, Walcott is still a hot item on the transfer market. Teams like Liverpool or PSG could surely pay big money for the 27-year-old who might reboot his career with a transfer. Currently valued at about £20million, Walcott’s departure could fund some important transfers. The Gunners could go for a 5-star striker which they desperately need. Knowing that Wenger has made somewhat of a habit from spending £40-50million in the summer, imagine what he could do if you double that. Players like Benzema, Aubameyang or Higuain would no longer be off limits. Walcott’s contract expires in 2019 and as much as I would like to see it happen, I don’t think he will improve and become the player everyone wanted him to be since first setting foot on Arsenal soil.