The captain of Arsenal, Thomas Vermaelen, has said that if Theo Walcott decides to leave Arsenal next summer, it would not surprise him at all. Walcott’s contract with Arsenal is going to expire at the end of this season.
According to some reports, Walcott wants a significant increment in his weekly salary and only then, he will sign a new contract, but, the club doesn’t want to increase his weekly salary that much. However, a few days back, in one of his interviews, Walcott had hinted that the contract issues have almost been sorted now and he might be signing a new contract soon. But, Vermaelen’s statement suggests the contract issues are still there.
When asked about the extension of Walcott’s contract, Vermaelen said, “As a captain, I don’t want him to leave as he is a fantastic player and has been in great form recently. But, we can’t do anything regarding contract issues. Only the club officials and the player himself can sort out these issues.”
When asked about the form of Walcott, Vermaelen said, “He has been in fine nick in the last few games. He hasn’t got regular opportunities in this season so far, but, whenever he has played, he has made a mark. He is an impact player and if he is in top form, he can create a lot of troubles for the opposing team.”
Vermaelen’s own form hasn’t been great in the ongoing season. In the last season, he had performed brilliantly and that’s why, he was given the opportunity to captain the team in this season, but, he has looked out of form in most of the matches in the ongoing season and has made a number of mistakes.
When asked about his own form, Vermaelen said, “It’s true that I haven’t been in top form so far in the season, but, my performance hasn’t been too bad either. I have been there or thereabouts. Yes, I have made a few mistakes, but, when you play more than 30 games, there will always be a few mistakes here and there.”
