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Why this proposed exchange deal would be a step back for Arsenal

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Reports over the weekend suggested Arsenal are looking into the possibility of offering contract rebel Theo Walcott plus £8 million to Liverpool in exchange for the services of promising youngster Raheem Sterling.

Arsene Wenger said:

‘It’s always important to keep your best players but if selling Walcott should happen, we’ll replace him with someone, another big name.’

Arsenal have been unwilling to meet Walcott’s wage demands – believed to be around £90,000-a-week. They have so far come up with an offer of around £10,000-a-week short of Theo’s demands, while the pacey winger also wants to know whether Wenger plans to play him in his preferred position up front.

Walcott is in the last eight months of his existing contract and will be free to talk to other clubs from January onwards, and it seems we are finding ourselves in this situation to often than not in recent years.

Brendan Rodgers is said to be an admirer of Walcott but does not want to lose Sterling.

It appears Arsenal fans must now brace themselves for another exit after Wenger added:

‘Yes, fans are fed up. You think I’m not fed up?’

‘I want our best players to stay. I have discussions every day with Theo but not every day about his contract.’

This, in my opinion, would be a shock trade. Simple as that.

Yet again, we are selling our ready-made players to be replaced by a kid, who has only shined for a couple of games in a Liverpool shirt.

Don’t get me wrong, Sterling is an amazing talent and I think he has a bright future ahead of him. But why must we constantly keep bringing in youngsters to replace our experienced players?

And topping up £8 million for him plus Walcott? Sorry to say this, but that’s just down right stupid. What is the board even thinking considering this proposal?

I’m a fan of Walcott. The 23-year-old has been improving season after season and is on his way to improving his talent even further. And the fact that we allow our star players to run down their deals sickens me.

If Wenger was truly fed up then he would’ve offered Walcott a new deal months ago before he entered his final year of his contract.

Just give him the flipping wage he demands and play him up front with a target man Arsene! Otherwise if he leaves and Sterling does come in we will be stuck doing the same old thing year in, year out, ‘building for the future’.

I can only assume he is waiting for the teams around us to age even more before we start even thinking about becoming successful.

I have honestly had it with all these never ending contract talks. Why can’t we simply tie our best players down to new deals earlier and avoid all this commotion. Some will say that our wage structure won’t allow us to because we are trying to be financially stable. But if being financially stable means constantly losing our stars every season and not attracting the ‘big’ names because our packages aren’t attractive, then I say screw it, break the stupid structure and give the players the money that will make them want to stay.

If we keep on doing this as a club then I can only see this trophy drought continuing.

We need the experience and the chemistry that is brought about by a group of players who have been together for sometime. Only this will see us progress as a club.

Do you think Walcott plus £8 million for Sterling would be a good deal to push forward?

Let us know your thoughts on the matter below

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huge Arsenal fan, love the team and all that comes with it.follower of all kinds of sports, football being my first love, yet to attend my first arsenal game but i am planning too, some time in the not to distant future. i enjoy writing as well, that's how i ended up here, never looked back....

7 comments

  • acho ojike says:

    Between Walcot and Sterling, it’s no brainer. Arsenal will be making the blunder of the decade if they even contemplate swapping them. For now Walcot is miles ahead of Sterling. It’s difficult to accept. but right now, Walcot is Arsenal’s best player. You can talk of Carzola,Arteta,et al, but Walcot for now is ahead of them. Only Carzola comes close. ArsenaL started playing well now since Walcot starts games. Gervinho’s injury left Wenger with no option but to start Walcot and so far the difference is clear. Once Walcot don’t play you’ll see how pathetic Arsenal play. Giroud also started scoring since Walcot started playing regularly. Infact the more the two play together the better improved they become. Walcot changes games for Arsenal but you can hardly say that of Sterling for Liverpool, so why the comparison and the talk about a swap. Infact who ever suggests that dont understand the gem Walcot is. Just wait till he leaves Arsenal. You can say he is inconsistent, but which player isn’t?. Sterling could be a game changer in future but now he is just a good player. Let’s watch him get on first before comparing him to Walcot. For now that’s no brainer.

  • aj says:

    “And topping up £8 million for him plus Walcott? Sorry to say this, but that’s just down right stupid.”

    You are 100% spot on with that assessment!

    “What is the board even thinking considering this proposal?”

    Oh Dear!! Now you have fallen down the hole they have dug for you!

    Of course the Board are not thinking of considering this proposal. They may be many things but they are not that stupid.

    Just look at where this story came from. The SUN.

    Today the Sun is saying that Arsenal will pay him more and he is going to sign the contract. It’s just tabloid wind-up stuff.

  • heniorla says:

    What a stupid thing a whole WALCOT 8milion for sternling or what is his name,is senseless our best player,best striker.even i dont what to say.

  • Mohd Isa says:

    If the deal goes thru it will show how naive and deluded Wenger has become.Walcott is on the way to being the finished product.The same cannot be said of the Pool guy. For all you know,he could prove to be another one like Velaa,Denilson,etc.
    And finally shd he go and get Sterling and the gunners can’t get the cl berth,he shd be off before he causes Arsenal to go into terminal decline.

  • @babakrdaemi says:

    I dont believe it for a second. However, to answer the question, if walcott wants to go and Liverpool is the destination we could do worse than Sterling.

  • Ross says:

    Walcott will either leave for 6 or 7m in jan or leave for nothing in the summer. Sterling is worth what? Probably about 15m in today’s inflated Market. The proposed deal is not all that daft or unrealistic when you look at the contracts of both players and the numbers involved… Of course, Walcott may still re-sign…

  • prince saj says:

    It is more than foolish, we have enough up coming talent at emirate why going for one I replacement of our ready made supper star. Even if not for any reason we should keep theo ans sagan for tability

    This where our (Fans) power lies a placard should read KEEP THEO, DON’T SELL HIM NOW OR LATER! This is very important else I see working out of emirate

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