Arsene Wenger never once contemplated selling Theo Walcott this summer, despite his inconsistent form over the last few seasons
The Arsenal winger has been in fine form this season, having notched 7 goals in 9 appearances in all competitions. However, the midfielder had a very indifferent 2015/16 campaign, having already matched his league total of 5 goals last season. Despite this, Arsene Wenger has claimed that the thought of selling Walcott didn’t cross his mind, according to ITV :
“Look, I haven’t spoken to anybody because I was not ready to let him go. I always wanted to keep him.”
Wenger was also understandably full of praise for the 27 year old, citing his mental qualities as integral to his game :
“What I’ve seen of him is that he lets the passion for the game come out of his body. That’s what you want from him.
“I’ve felt that since he’s played with more freedom, maybe he lets his feelings come out a bit more and is less calculating: ‘Can I do that or can I not do that?’
Walcott’s resurgent form has seen him regain a place in the England squad, while Arsenal have gone on a run of 6 victories, with Walcott playing a big part in all those victories. Walcott was repeatedly linked with moves to West Ham and Liverpool over the summer, but is now seen as integral to Arsenal’s plans this season.
The England international has also gone a long way to winning back the support of the Emirates faithful, many of whom had tired of his inconsistent performances.
