Jurgen Klopp is planning to lure the England international to Merseyside this summer with a £25m offer to Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Following Arsenal’s activation of Leicester City superstar Jamie Vardy’s release clause, rumours regarding Theo Walcott’s potential departure have increased. Initially, it was believed that Walcott was looking to move to a club in London. However, Arsenal’s possible hesitation to sell a player surplus to their requirements to their direct rivals might have proved to be a hindrance to the deal.
The 27-year-old winger missed out on a spot in England’s Euro 2016 squad after having a disappointing campaign with Arsenal last season. According to a report in the Express, Liverpool are prepared to shell out £25m in order to land Theo Walcott from Arsenal.
The report further adds that Walcott will be offered £120,000-a-week at Liverpool, which will be an upgrade on his current £110,000-a-week Arsenal salary. The English forward is reportedly looking for a club which can provide him with regular game time and a spot in the starting lineup. Liverpool could be a nice fit for Walcott, as Klopp is on the lookout in the transfer market for a versatile and dynamic forward who can play either wide or up front.
Wenger keeping his options open with regards to Walcott future
Arsene Wenger has indicated that he is not sure whether Walcott’s future lies at the Emirates. It is likely that Arsenal will wait for an offer that meets their asking price for the 27-year-old forward, and if one isn’t forthcoming, Arsene Wenger will be more than happy to keep the forward and utilize him to the best of his capabilities.
Jurgen Klopp is known to be an outstanding man manager and Walcott, who has played his entire career under Wenger, could certainly do with a change in management style to revive his career. Besides, as the report by the Daily Express goes on to say, the Liverpool boss is likely to be disappointed in his chase of Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze and Southampton’s Sadio Mane and is likely to be forced to look at other options in the transfer market.