Arsenal: Time has come for Theo Walcott divorce

Arsenal are reportedly willing to sell Theo Walcott in January with several clubs interested in his services. The time has come for the inevitable divorce.

Theo Walcott has been a dutiful and faithful Arsenal servant. Signed in 2006, he is the longest-serving player in the current squad, has committed himself fully to the club, even if, at times, he has lacked the quality that his inordinate, youthful talent perhaps suggested he possession, and has never complained, publicly, at least, about his increasingly diminished role.

Theo, for all of his on-field faults, and there are many of them, has been, as the cliche goes, a true professional. He works hard, he avoids trouble, and he has the ethic and the character that every young player should look to replicate.

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But, now at 28 years of age, there is an inevitable divorce coming. No longer can he be considered a project for the future, a talent waiting to bloom, a young kid with potential. This is his prime. He should be an established member of the squad, a key component of the team. But he’s not. Walcott’s time in North London is drawing to an end.

This season, Theo has played just 47 minutes of Premier League football. That is, for reference, less than Jack Wilshere, less than Francis Coquelin, less than Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who left in August. In fact, Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck, two players who Walcott is ostensibly competing with for playing time, have both featured in more than ten times the minutes that Walcott has. He is, at best, a rotational squad player, and at worst, an unwanted reserve.

Arsene Wenger has always been a proponent of Walcott’s abilities. He has supported his work through the youth ranks and into the first team, has relentlessly backed him to perform at the senior level, and waited patiently for his injury issues to preside and his talent to shine through. It never happened.

And now, the latest reports suggest that Wenger is finally prepared to cut bait. There are several clubs allegedly interested in Walcott this January, including West Ham and Southampton. At either of those clubs, he would have success. As the main man in the team, Walcott, I believe, would flourish under the responsibility. But at Arsenal, the time has come for him to move on.

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His career is one of what could have been. He certainly flashed the ability as a young prospect. But he never quite delivered what was expected of him; he was never able to live up to his billing. That is a great shame, but in the ruthless world of football, it is time for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger to move on.

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