Arsenal: Theo Walcott the perfect makeweight

West Ham United are considering a move for Theo Walcott per recent reports. If they offered the right price, the Arsenal winger would be the perfect makeweight to fun more substantial and significant transfers.

Arsenal are a club that wants to live within their means. While that does not necessitate a frugal nature, a lack of spending in the transfer window, or a shying away of the big names – nearly £100 million was spent on new recruits last summer -, it does mean that they must be measured, considered and thoughtful with their investments.

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Unlike Roman Abramovic at Chelsea or Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City, they do not have the ‘sugar daddy’ owner who is happy to plough money into the squad, even though there is little chance of every seeing a return on his money. Stan Kroenke will never be that type of owner.

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Instead, they must be smart with their revenue streams, ensuring that they maximise their marketability such that the money they receive from sponsorships, merchandise sales and matchday spending can be reinvested in the squad, both in terms of the facilities at the Emirates and London Colney, and the actual players, with wages and transfer fees.

Although they are a rich club with the ability to spend large sums on players, they are not as wealthy as the cash-rich City or United. Sometimes, that means offloading certain individuals to raise funds for new players to continually evolve, improve and freshen up the squad. This summer, if the high-profile moves that are being touted in the media do happen, then a number of outgoings will have to take place to fund those incomings. And there is one player who is prime for an exit.

Theo Walcott is reportedly the apple of West Ham United’s eye, with the London club considering a bid for both him and Olivier Giroud. While the latter is a unique player with a set of skills that are difficult to replicate, Walcott, despite enjoying the best season of his Arsenal career thus far, simply does not fit the system that Arsene Wenger is currently employing.

Moreover, given his searing pace, his willingness to be direct and deliberate with the ball at his feet, the ability to skip by players without blinking an eye and his surprising production at the end of it all – he scored 19 goals in all competitions last season – there is reason to believe that Arsenal would be able to fetch a decent price for his services.

A winger with the pace and goalscoring ability of Walcott are in high demand, especially in the fast-paced, high-intensity Premier League. They are also rare and difficult to find. That drives the price up and many clubs would be willing to pay north of £20 million for his services.

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If Arsenal are able to sell a player who doesn’t suit their style, no longer fits the formation, and is on rather hefty wages that could be better spent elsewhere for £25 million, then that is an astute sale that will help fund other investments. Walcott is the perfect makeweight.