Arsenal: Walcott’s Drive Admirable, But He Has Lost Trust

Theo Walcott is determined to prove himself as a winger after failing to impress as Arsenal’s striker. Arsenal, however, may have already lost faith in him.

Arsenal’s pursuit of Olympique Lyon’s talismanic winger and forward Alexandre Lacazette has clearly ruffled a few feathers at the Emirates stadium.

Related Story: Arsenal's 10 Worst Signings Under Wenger

Theo Walcott in particular has made it clear to sky sources that he wants to impress as a winger and restore his place in the first team – perhaps because he knows he’s no match for the Frenchman Lacazette on the scoring front.

Walcott also said in the segment that he has spoken to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger about his position going forward. Walcott told the legendary French coach that he wanted “to be known for playing on the right again”.

Let’s not forget: a year ago, Walcott told Arsene Wenger that he felt he could be the twenty-goal man to lead the Gunners’ line.

Since then, we’ve seen nothing short of a failure to live up to that tag.

Walcott scored nine goals and created four goals in the 2015/16 season playing both up front and on the right wing.

Those stats are decent for a winger with rotational playing time, but for somebody that was given many chances by both his manager and his teammates (chances carries a double meaning here), Theo Walcott will need to drastically improve his end product if he wants to earn any trust back.

The Arsenal board have told manager Arsene Wenger that the transfer budget is definitely available, should he want to spend big on a multitude of players to beef up his squad.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

Apart from Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi, who is arguably THE crucial addition to the Arsenal team this season, many of the players Arsenal have been linked with in this window would shake up the rotation in attack and force some players to reconsider their future.

Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez is the magician on the right wing, so he’d definitely do nothing good for Walcott’s playing time.

The aforementioned Alexandre Lacazette will play a huge role as a striker, but his veteran French compatriot Olivier Giroud will need minutes too, so Lacazette could be pushed out to the right wing (a position which he is comfortable in) to facilitate that move.

The latest news is that Arsenal have been linked with Julian Draxler once again, and Draxler, if not converted to a strikers role by Arsene Wenger, would prefer a role on the left wing – and that would move Alexis Sanchez to the right wing, displacing Walcott again.

All of this talk is excluding Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has slipped down the pecking order after failing to have a good final ball for the vast majority of 2015/16.

Oxlade-Chamberlain needs a breakout season, and his former tutor Theo Walcott may have to yield his place to faciliate Oxlade-Chamberlain’s development.

To conclude, Theo Walcott may have no more time to ‘prove himself’ to his manager.

Not only because there are players at Arsenal who need development and could use the playing time on the right wing, such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alex Iwobi, but Arsene Wenger is looking at players who prefer to play on the right wing, and that could force Walcott completely out of contention.

Next: Arsenal's Top 10 Prospects

Theo Walcott might need a move.