Arsenal: Theo Walcott loan serves only one purpose

Arsenal are being tied to odd rumors linking Theo Walcott with a loan move away, rather than a straight sale. If that’s the case, there is only one prerogative.

Arsenal are not a team known for their loans. They are not going to bring in a guy temporarily and if they let one go on a similar basis, it’s usually a prequel to a sale. Chalk it up as yet another thing that Arsene Wenger is just irrationally opposed to.

That said, there are lots of talks of lingering loan moves coming back to play a part in this January window, with Wenger more than a tad bit opposed to making an actual purchase barring some sort of corresponding exit.

Lucas Perez is rumored to be on the table to return early to North London and Theo Walcott i s now on the table on going the opposite way.

But what does Arsenal really stand to gain by loaning out a 28 year old Englishman that hasn’t lived up to his full potential, yet is making among the most of all Gunner’s players?

Well, they aren’t loaning him out to get experience in the hopes that he will amount to something. That ship has sailed. He can still play his part with this club, but he isn’t going to all of a sudden strike gold on loan. Although, nothing is impossible.

He wouldn’t be going on loan to prove anything. He’s had over a decade to prove himself and he’s only gotten worse, sliding into the background of even the reserve team.

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The only purpose of sending Walcott out on loan is to facilitate his campaign to be included in the 2018 World Cup. The speedy attacker infamously missed out on the 2014 World Cup due to injury and, as such, has yet to appear on the biggest stage.

Given that it’s an obvious goal of every player in the known world, it makes sense that both parties would want to help Theo spur himself to an appearance with the Three Lions in Russia.

By that logic, there’s no real reason why a loan move shouldn’t be considered. I’d much rather see him sold, but World Cups do some magical things to players, and if Walcott can return from it, at the age of 29, looking rather different and ready to be a bigger deal, then Wenger looks like a genius.

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And if nothing comes of it and he flails and amounts to nothing, then what have we lost?

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