Do Arsenal fans prefer Walcott over Sterling? I do!

A report from the Daily Mail has given the latest update on the ongoing Theo Walcott transfer saga. According to the report, talks will commence between the two parties next week, right after Arsenal’s FA Cup final against Aston Villa at Wembley. It seems as though negotiations will not be on complex terms but just a matter of whether the English international is a part of Arsene Wenger’s long-term plans.

While Theo is currently on a £90,000-per-week deal at the Emirates, it is understood that talks will hardly be about a pay-hike but will be a discussion of how Wenger will use the speedy winger going forward. Arsenal’s hat-trick hero on Sunday has been worried by his lack of game-time since his return from a long-term injury and it appears as though the Arsenal boss will have to make assurances in regards to that as well.

However, the report from the Mail also goes on to suggest that the North London club have a Plan B should contract talks with Theo break down, which is a move for Raheem Sterling. If terms are not agreed with Walcott, Arsenal will step up their interest in Liverpool’s contract rebel as a direct replacement for Walcott, with the wantaway winger already hinting that he would prefer a move to the Emirates.

But in my opinion, Theo will stay at the club. I think it is quite evident that he wants to stay and even more so that Wenger wants him to stay. We’ve all known that this was never about the money, it’s just a matter of how he fits into Wenger’s plans and hence, I firmly believe that an agreement will be reached sooner rather than later as all parties involved are more or less working towards the same objective.

While Sterling is a very promising player, I’m sure most Arsenal fans would just prefer to have Theo sign a contract extension rather than bring him to the Emirates. Apart from his pace, Theo has now added versatility, physical strength and a good finish to his game and at 26 years of age, there is no way Wenger is letting him go in the prime of his career, especially when the player himself wants to stay. I expect a contract extension to be announced shortly after the Cup final.

Anurag

Tags Sterling Walcott

50 Comments

  1. I’d rather give Theo £130k p/w than Sterling, put it that way. I can’t see the purchase happening, because that would signal the end of the road for Gnabry or Chambo, both of whom I think have the capability to be better than Sterling. I’d much prefer using that extra £15m towards a better striker or defensive mid than on a Theo replacement.

    1. Completely Agree.

      Sterling is not a player we need, we have an abundance of people who can play right wing/right mid in Theo, Ox, Gnabry and Sanchez.

      For the fee he would command and his wages it would be wiser to invest the money elsewhere.

      1. There you go with that “abundance” again. We have an abundance of right sided wingers, yet CM Ramsey played the last 7 league games there for us. I mean do some of you even watch Arsenal? Only legitimate starter we have for RW is Ox. He brings all the attacking flair AND does the defensive duties.

        To put Gnabry in the conversation is frankly stupid, he’s made less than 10 starts for the first team and has been out a year with an injury – he’s down as an option for wide right when we’re trying to win the premier league….good stuff.

        Then we have Theo who’s showing just how easy it is to pull one over the Arsenal faithful by scoring a hattrick in the meaningless last game of the season. Completely erased the ever more common performances he provides which are largely ineffective and lacking in quality. A microcosm of Arsenal’s season where we go on an unbeaten run and think we’re a shoe-in for the title next term only to see us balls it up when the pressure is applied and reality sinks back in. Some never learn.

        So there’s your options for RW, Oxlade-Chamberlain is the best of the lot yet has 6 goals and 7 assists in 4 years with us while he hasn’t managed a full season without injury to date. But RW is definitely not an area we could strengthen.

        1. Ramsey plays RW because it gives the team better control of the midfield. Using your logic players like Willian, Iniesta(this season) etc are terrible because their goals and assists are worse than Walcott’s this season. In football there are chances created and key passes. There are also actions which are not counted such as creating space and drawing defenders. If you think sterling is better than ox or Theo then your the one that has not been watching arsenal.

          1. but it doesn’t give us better control,plus Ramsey can’t play there.Sterling is better than Theo technique wise,but wat theo has is that goalscoring ability from the wing which Sterling doesnt(yet),and this is what we are lacking.So i would keep Walcott because he offers something different,while Sterling is similar to wat we already have.

    2. Would love to know why you think Theo deserves that money seeing as 9 years after buying him he’s not even nailed a starting place in the first 11. Sterling is a more rounded footballer now and suits our game better, his ceiling is massively above Theos.

      Classic case of siding with the guy who’s been a gunner for almost a decade over a guy getting turned out by every rag in England for wanting to leave the English football darlings. Quite how it would signal the end of the road for Ox or Gnabry is anyones guess, Gnabry needs loaned out and Ox has played 1 game since Jan so I think he needs to worry more about his fitness than competition for places.

      The whole concept that Sterling in any way affects any current player is bizarre. He would be competition, that’s it. Podolski is still on the books so why we can’t get shot of that wasted 100k and bring Sterling in escapes me. Guess people just love to compare and b1tch about who they think is better. I’d rather just improve.

      1. As a squad player he’d be fine but for the money Liverpool reportedly want he’d have to start. we don’t need a Torres. He’d cost more than Sanchez, hazard. For that money you should get a guy that can win you a game by himself.

    3. Really depends on so many things.

      1. Will Theo stay fit and contribute? Highly debatable on both fronts. Perhaps we are seeing improvements in player fitness (…still not certain) and as for performances I know Theo can deliver, but often doesn’t. It only seems 10 mins since we were last having to negotiate Theo’s contract and a lot of that time has been spent in the sick bay. I’ve seen him looking like a lost lamb in the headlights but also seen him cause untold problems for the opposition. He’s got to make the transition from high potential kid to solid high quality professional.
      2. Sterling is younger than Theo and we’ve waited years and years for Theo to deliver on his potential. Sterlings stats in absolute terms seem to show more impact on a consistent basis and he’s a regular player. He has more versatility than Theo and can dribble as well as run.
      3. What are we doing with our up and coming players. It’s like buying Reus, great player, would deliver but then how will Gnabry, Theo, Ox, Silva etc ever become great if they can’t get a game? Not sure we’ve go this particular point very clear on how the ‘kids’ who aren’t really kids going to get game time to become regulars.
      4. There’s no question of 50m…if Theo negotiations break down he’s going, so we will have cash available. Whatever we were to pay for Sterling if I follow everyone’s reckoning, we’d command more for Theo. We’ve also got others who should be going like Podolski so I don’t think money or wages is the issue.
      5. Like most I’d prefer it if Theo stays but he really does need at 26 to be doing it week in and week out. Take responsibility, stop being a nice boy and start being the game winning talent his potential suggested he’d become.
      6. Last point don’t take the piss Theo. Sign the contract if you want to stay, get your head down and make 2015/16 your defining season. I don’t personally think any guarantees should be offered – loyalty is a two way thing and the place is there for a committed contributor not a prima donna.

    4. I think sterling is the better player, sorry but he has more skills compared to theo, I don’t see the move happening so I would settle with Theo. Theo needs to deliver on a regular basis, he needs to be consistent. Its been ages and he still has this inconsistency in his game. Wonder if he will ever turn into the final product we fans are craving for

    5. I quite like what Barney Ronay said in the Guardian:

      “Can anybody say with any certainty that Sterling is better than Mateo Kovacic, Hakan Calhanoglu, Memphis Depay, Paulo Dybala, Alen Halilovic, Davy Klaassen, Nikola Ninkovic or Jese Rodríguez? Is he a better prospect than Martin Odegaard, Real Madrid’s performing teenager? Is he actually better than Alex Oxlade‑Chamberlain, Ross Barkley, and Harry Kane? Maybe he is right now. Maybe not next month. It is a meaningless, unanswerable question, an argument about possibility and potential, and a crown that can only really be awarded in retrospect”.

      But Rodgers has already told everyone that RS is the “best young player in Europe”. I also see that the CIES Football Observatory body have Sterling valued at £49M. More than Bale, Neymar, Sanchez, Suarez, Gotze, Rodriguez, Isco and many many more. Apparently they have the most sophisticated algorithm in existence that calculates these things – looks like a supremely dodgy algorithm to me if it churns out nonsense like this. Transfermarket has him at a more sane £27M.

      If he wasn’t English he wouldn’t fetch £20M – look at Depay to United. The only team nuts enough in England to buy RS is City.

  2. Arsenal has 10 winger
    options. Sanchez Walcott
    Ox Gnabry Wellbeck
    Ramsey Sanogo Campbell
    Podolski Wellington.
    We are paying mega coin for these players.
    How about getting them to earn their pay for a change.

    1. Ramsey is not a winger, he’s being played as a floating right/central midfielder so that Alexis becomes a false striker supporting Giroud. He acts as a RW when defending creating two banks of 4 with Alexis floating.

      1. interesting tactical thought,but i think he just wants to squeeze Rambo in somewhere now hes moved Santi from his best position no10,an put Ozil there.

  3. Ohh Boy Here we Go again!!!! Lets put an End to discussion £50-60 Million pounds on a player who produces 18 Goals 14 Assists in 4 Years is not a good return on investment , I could buy Marco Reus with that money and still have MILLIONS to play with. Theo is a good player, he has had his injuries sure but you cant say he has been ineffective whilst here at Arsenal. So Ill end the argument by simply stating this IF YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND £50-60 MILLION ON A WINGER MIGHT ASWELL BUY REUS…..

      1. FACT!!! English Young Talent tends to be over priced, United Paid 30+ Million For Luke Shaw (When Southampton Where in BPL) We paid 16 Million for Chambo (When Southampton where in league1) Raheem Sterling is an established first team regular at Liverpool a top 7 Team in the league. “Who shows great potential” It would be wishful thinking to think a player of his caliber would go on the cheap. Now unfortunately the value of English players tends to be inflated a little bit, as for pulling numbers out my arse just bare in mind LIVERPOOL SIGNED ANDY CARROLL FOR 35 MILLION THE SAME FEE WE PAID FOR ALEXIS SANCHEZ!!!!!!!! morons can work out alexis is different class, but why did the cost the same, OH THATS RIGHT BECAUSE HE’S ENGLISH!!!!!

        1. Circumstance. Liverpool paid that much because they just received 50mil for Torres and Newcastle played them like a drum. United paid that much because they were desperate for a LB and Saints knew it. We paid 16mil because it’s pittance for a player that ideally will have 15 years at the club. Sterling is a 25mil talent with the english mark-up.

          If you think Sterling is going for anything more than 35mil you’re kidding yourself. You’re obviously just reading figures published in the Daily Star or Metro.

          1. I guess Adam Lallana 25mil, James Milner 25 mil, Shawn Wright Phillips 21 Mil, Darren Bent 16 Mil (there are many more), where done out of desperation or coincidence. To say Adam Lalllana would cost the same price or even to nearest 10 million as Raheem Sterling. In the Immortal Words of Samuel L Jackson “You must be outta your, God Damn Mind”. Now even if we did manage to somehow to launch a bid of £35 Million,it wouldn’t for Sterling, You must have forgot who is currently managing Arsenal (The Penny pinching, Tesco Slogan, Bargain Hunter) For 35 Million there is far better with way more potential Lacazette, Quinterro (the list is too long). Listen I know your a Sterling Lover (To Be Honest Im fond of him too) But we sure as hell aint getting him.

            1. Was it it with people on here? Because I see the merits in a player we’re supposedly tracking I’m a “sterling lover” or “love schneiderlin”……yea or I can just put the bias aside and see that both are upgrades.

              Look we’ve established English talents are at a premium, but there’s a stark difference between 25mil and the 50mil people have assumed as the price. Sterling is getting beaten with transfer fee and wage figures on here which ate both completely fabricated.

              Boils down to the football he can play – while 90% of Arsenal fans prefer Ox to Theo, Sterling has been far more productive/decisive than Ox has the last 3 years for an inferior team but is being slandered with bias left and right. I mean scroll the comments and people will have you believe gnabry and zelalem are both just as good. Ridiculous

              1. I didn’t mean to come across as condescending, I totally agree with you and i think he is a remarkably talented player, At the moment I would agree better than Ox,Walcott, Gnabry, Zelalem he has played more games this season, Logic being you play more, you gain more. But as i mentioned and you have agreed the “premium mark up” on English players means in all honesty we would be better buying someone outside the league if we where genuinely contemplating spending in excess of 25 million (which more than likely he will cost) I would want an established international with assists and goals in the 10s, And we could get a player for around that. As for Walcott, Ox, Gnabry, Zelalem; i would like to see them have an entire season where there body functions without injury, I cant conclusively say they are useless with only seeing teasers. TO BE HONEST ITS LIKE WATCHING A MICHEAL BAY FILM WITH THEM, YOU WILL GET A TRAILER/TEASER WITH TONS OF EXPLOSIONS, MOST OF THE TIME THE MOVIE TENDS TO BE TERRIBLE, BUT THAT ODD 20% OF THE TIME ITS ACTUALLY A GOOD FILM.

    1. You know someone is definitely joking, when he dropped the mighty ALEXIS for the FA cup final.

        1. ……..Ospina……..
          Bell..Gab..Kos..Mon
          …….Coq..Ram……
          Theo..Caz/Oz…Sancz
          ……….Giroud……….

          Personally i would opt Cazorla but doubt our manager will drop Ozil. Another route may be to drop Giroud in place of Sanchez fitting Ozil and Cazorla both. And what of Wilshere who looked dynamite vs WBA, Ox too… hes maybe not fit enough but some headache all the same.

  4. We 100% need to keep Theo. Sterling has big big potential at this moment in time it’s only potential. I think he’s at a stage where his career could go either way. He’s already performing brilliantly on a regular basis. Having watched I’m quite a lot he impresses me his stats are pretty good too for his age. He’s one of very few players unlikely but possible who could reach the levels of someone like Ronaldo definitely capable of reaching the level of someone like hazard. I don’t think he’s worth the money Liverpool are reported to want for him and his temperament more off the pitch than on it worries me. If he moved to London that could mean trouble and he seems to be surrounded by idiots and greedy agents. Big potential tho but I think there are quite a lot of Potential forwards available this summer not sure what Wenger will go for possibly someone versatile who can play as a striker and out wide, maybe someone who only plays wide and then give Theo and Danny opportunities up front ( I think that would work if we had two big goal threats on the wing) or another out and out striker.

    Wenger doesn’t like giving any information out to the media it’s funny because they ask him transfer questions pretty much every week in his press conference and he either says nothing or on the odd week where he’s more talkative feeds them sh!t. To me he could be interested or he might not be or he’s pretty respectful of people and other clubs but Liverpool fuc£ed us with Suarez not sticking to his buy out clause this is a way to unsettle Liverpool this summer he’s just playing the media game. Anyone possible but I think he only want real top quality players now or big big potential youngsters.

    1. Nice thoughts there but Id disagree on one point, Danny Wellbeck is Sh!t!! he was a dummy buy and I don’t think he’ll ever improve in front of goal so to my mind as soon as we can get rid we should

      1. Danny has been and will be apart of our hard fought victories. We all love how solid we look with Sanchez and Ox in the team and i think similar can be said of Sanchez Welbeck. Also i look forward to seeing Ox and Welbeck when our backs are against the wall, Sanchez and Theo will get injuries and i think Danny and Ox may surprise you.

  5. Sterling cannot be viewed as an improvement on any of the options that we currently have. Yes he has potential, but as a team that has had potential and the next year feeling about it for the last 8 years I just don’t see the point. We have players with as much or more potential in Ox and Gnabry, Zalalem, etc.

    There is a lot of talk about how Sterling compares to other U21s with the best stats of any in his age bracket, but he also has significantly more playing time than any others. He’s an idiot really because no one else will put as much faith in him as Brendan Rogers has.

  6. Arsenal signing Ki Sung-yueng!!! (on Sky Sports) I don’t know what to say, what do you think?

    1. No no no. But in fairness just because we enquire doesn’t mean we’ll sign him we could be set a wild goose lose

  7. This should not even be a debate. Walcott is a Gooner and, when given the opportunity, produces the goods. He’s mature and knows his limitations and abilities. Sterling is no better than the youngsters we already have in the wings, just waiting for a chance to prove themselves. Bellerin got such a chance this season and look what a fantastic season he had. Same can be said for Coquelin. We don’t need to waste that much boodle on Sterling – there are much better and astute investments to be made.

  8. This season just showed that the best reinforcements are in our very own academy. Without bellerin and coquelin this could’ve been an awful season for us. We can always rely on Gnabry and chuba. Sterling is heading the same road as jermaine pennant and shaun wright phillips.

  9. We don’t Need Stirling and frankly I would rather that money be spend on a world class striker NOT an upstart young kid who still has to learn his trade …we have Walcott, however on the subject of Walcott I just wish he’d stop being overtly greedy and sign the contract so that the transfer team can concentrate on brining in the New players we need NO wasting weeks of negotiation on a player who should be happy o play for the club with the wages he has. I get the feeling Theo thinks he’s a little better than he really is and that should be stamped on, NOONE IS BIGGER THAN THE CLUB!!!!!

  10. Walcott for me too, Sterling has the potential to be great but he could also be the next Jermaine Pennant / David Bentley

  11. Sterling is a promising young player but has a stupid agent and is very immature. He could play these mind games with us too. Also, £40-50 million is too much of a gamble for a promising player.

    I’m hoping for a Top striker. If Wenger wants another winger than I’d prefer a fully developed one like Reus or even Pedro. We are not in dire need for one.

    Priority should be top striker and DM

  12. walcott is better than all the english forwards excluding rooney maybe.
    sterling is big headed and greedy, sturidge is inconsistent welbeck is average at best and the rest are not worth mentioning.
    It would be ridiculous to let Theo go now that he is at the age when he peaks.
    as many have mentioned above Reus or Lacazette over sterling every day of the week.

  13. We need Walcott not sterling. We need to be aggressive in the final third not more aggressive in midfield. We have a lot of players who like to be aggressive in midfield but few who are aggressive in front of goal.

    Our goals come from Sanchez, giroud and Walcott. Those three are our most aggressive final third players we have. Sterling has been played as a lead striker a lot this season and has flattered to deceive, even though he was given that sort of role for Liverpool. Liverpool’s dependence on sterling is the reason their scoring record has been poor.

  14. Good day Anurag. The issue is a 2 face matter. The Boss will not be allegedly interested in R. Sterling if not for a good reason. The Gunners’s central and wide attacking midfielders are all but 3 injury prones during the campaign of a season. Thereby distrupting the stabiliy of the team and thus making the team to drop d points they shouldn’t have dropped. Consequently, the Gunners have failed to win the Barclays Premier League when they were even at the top of the table in the 2013/2014 season as they had the advantage to win the title then. We’ve seen topping the table advantage for long being seized by Chelsea as they won the title. Only midfieders Cazorla Coquelin, and Ozil have stayed strong on their feet for Arsenal since they have started to start for the Gunners this Arsenal’s season. Provided the attacking play maker Raheem is wanted by the Boss, and he will stop inhaling nitrox oxide and stop smoking Shisha pipes, the Boss can sign him to complement his team. But Walcott should stay at Arsenal.

  15. Bored of the Sterling comparisons, no idea why that’s the narrative but others like Pedro are simply talked about as additions. Sterling would improve us, simple observation. He’s top quality at present and his potential is tremendous.

    That being said the Sterling/Theo nonsense is tedious to say the least. Theo has been here almost a decade so who is going to come out more favorably in a popularity contest? Redundant topic.

    1. Lol, for someone who thinks it’s a “redundant topic”, you’ve been beating your gums a lot!

      1. Because I think it’s redundant to compare I shouldn’t have an opinion? Makes sense..

        1. 7 comments on a redundant topic, I dread to think what you’d do with an interesting topic!

  16. i would definately have theo over that sterling charecter any day . he is not arsenal quality, too much baggage , and too much trouble . that fella is not arsenal quality, in every sense.

  17. If he really wants to come to Arsenal we can just wait for him to become free. Wouldn’t spend that amount on him.

  18. Walcott scores more goals. For next season, Theo is the better player. Sterling is not worth the asking price. Let him join fat Rafa in Madrid.

  19. Other than the meda hype and “expert” comments I know little about Sterling. On the other hand Walcott has good pedigree, has been patient and proved he can play in the centre as well as being one of the best wingers in the business. Stick with Walcott.

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