Kanyi Okeke
Theo Walcott has urged his Arsenal team-mates to end their seven-year trophy drought after the striker finally signed a £90,000-a-week deal, keeping him at the club until 2016.
After lengthy negotiations, the England forward agreed a lucrative three-and-a-half year deal at the Emirates, including a £3million signing on fee.
The 23-year-old joined fellow young Britons Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Carl Jenkinson, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who all signed five-year extensions last month.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was delighted to have secured the services of Walcott. He added: ‘Theo is a strong player and also a great person, and the combination of his ability and pace always make him such a valuable asset either from the flanks or down the middle.
‘Theo’s contract extension now gives us a strong nucleus of ambitious young players who have committed to the Club and want to be successful with us as a group.’
Walcott was expected to agree a deal sooner, but he balked at a deal worth £75,000 per week in August as he held out for a contract closer to £100,000.
Walcott joined the Gunners in 2006, when Wenger signed the 16-year-old Southampton academy graduate.
The Englishman is Arsenal’s top scorer this campaign with 14 goals in all competitions.
I heard 100k/week.