Theo Walcott has denied a training ground bust up with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, after suggestions the two had a row over the forward’s new contract.
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It was by an Arsenal fan podcast, the Tuesday Club, that ex-Gunner Nigel Winterburn revealed that Wenger and Theo had been involved in a spat and that the manager had ‘told him off massively’.
However, the pacy winger has taken the unusual step of responding to the allegations directly on Twitter, calling them ‘complete nonsense’.
I don’t normally comment on false stories about myself but reports about contract demands & bust-ups with the boss are complete nonsense…
— Theo Walcott (@theowalcott)
There have been no contract talks as yet and my current focus is not on contracts but on doing my best for Arsenal FC.
— Theo Walcott (@theowalcott)
Walcott has been the butt of much speculation over recent weeks due to his relative lack of game time, with some suggestions contract negotiations were the cause. However, if Walcott is to be believed, these haven’t even taken place yet.
With just a year left on his deal at the end of this season, you’d assume discussions between player and club would be a priority.
Therefore, if Theo isn’t being frozen out as a contract negotiation tactic – as he was in 2013 to try and speed up the signing process – it would suggest it’s actually down to the player and his form.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that Theo isn’t as nearly as important or key to the Arsenal attack as he once was following the signings for Alexis and Danny Welbeck in the summer.
This has been compounded since his return from injury, with the massive deficiencies to his game, such as defensive contribution and general build-up play, being massively exposed by the hard work and graft of the aforementioned duo.
With Theo’s bargaining position significantly reduced you’d imagine if his requests are as extortionate as they were last time – and with the club this time no bent over a barrel due to the exits of the like of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas – Arsenal would simply cut their losses and sell in the summer rather than use significant funds to keep a player that Wenger isn’t even trusting to start.
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