Arsenal: Selling Theo Walcott about so much more than dead weight

Arsenal looks set to offload their longest-tenured man in Theo Walcott, but his sale is about so much more than just clearly away dead weight.

I’m obviously pretty happy to see Theo Walcott move on from Arsenal. Setting aside any spite I have towards him, it truly is the best thing for both parties. All three parties, rather. But there is a certain sadness attached too.

Theo Walcott is indicative of an easier time. We had reasons for why we weren’t winning the title. We had to pay off the Emirates, after all. Arsene Wenger could still pull off slick signings and mega transfers weren’t a thing yet.

He leaves the club in a much different state then when he came. Still, despite all of the negative stigmas that he has picked up over years of sub-par performances, there is so much more attached to his sale than just clearing house.

We have clung to this idea that he is the chosen one for over a decade and it has never panned out, yet Wenger pulled out all the stops to ensure that there was not even a shadow of a doubt that Walcott could have been more.

He had his shining moments, there were plenty of them and he will be remembered fondly. Far more fondly then what he has been thought of in recent appearances.

But what it’s come down to is a matter of practicality. He has no practical use with this club anymore. He has been flagged offside more times than he has done anything constructive and he is so far from the starting XI that Eddie Nketiah may be closer.

There have been blips on his Arsenal radar. He “held the club hostage” for more money not so long ago. But he did stay true and stay with the club even as everyone else was jumping ship. That’s always going to be admired.

But he is part of an outdated era of Arsene Wenger rejects. Wenger used to collect these players that he would hold onto, seemingly infinitely, in the hopes that they would pan out. When it isn’t happening, it just isn’t happening. For Walcott, he could have been sold off three years ago and fetched a pretty penny, but Wenger held on, he held on in the hopes that he would be vindicated.

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Now, with a move on the cards, Walcott and Arsenal both stand to gain so much that you just have to wonder why this wasn’t done sooner. Walcott was never going to pressure the starting XI, especially not since the 3-4-3 has been implemented.

Meanwhile, Arsenal were wasting valuable space on someone who was never going to mount any sort of charge on anyone chose ahead of him.

Walcott was never going to get chosen for what will likely be his last attempt at a World Cup and Arsenal were never going to sin anyone new with Walcott still on the books.

This was a union of affection, not usefulness. Neither was benefiting from the other. The only thing they shared was a mutual affection. Walcott was raised at the club, the club invested a lot of faith and hope in Walcott.

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But practically speaking, there hasn’t been anything there for years. Better late then never. Sell him in this window and let all involved parties benefit.

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