British quarter to sign new deals at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger has tied-up deals to keep Arsenal’s British talent – and has held peace talks with Theo Walcott.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Kieran Gibbs have all agreed new contracts while Jack Wilshere has also admitted he will sign a new bumper five-year deal.
But Mirror Sport can reveal England star Walcott held talks with Wenger last week to try to resolve his future and the Gunners boss responded by playing him up front in Arsenal’s next match at Reading on Monday night.
That now looks to have been Wenger’s way of offering Walcott an olive branch in a bid to persuade the Arsenal winger to re-open contract talks and commit himself to a new deal.
Walcott, 23, was left frustrated and upset after being frozen out for weeks following the breakdown of talks over a new £75,000-a-week deal.
SOURCE: Daily Mirror
With club well off the place in the Premier League title-race and trailing neighbours Tottenham in the chase for fourth, Arsenal fans could do with some Christmas cheer.
The news that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Kieran Gibbs are set to follow Jack Wilshere in committing their futures to the club should certainly provide just that.
The quartets commitment should allay fears that under-pressure boss Arsene Wenger has lost the dressing room.
Wilshere’s new deal in particular is good news. The pass-master has returned after 17 months out injured and looks like he’s never been gone. Wenger will know that he can build a team around the 20-year-old for years to come.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has made less of an impact this season than he did last term and has been used in a more central role, a position arguably less suited to his talents that the wing.
Kieran Gibbs has struggled with injuries again this term but, when fully fit, is far superior to Brazilian Andre Santos and could well be the long-term successor of Ashley Cole for England.
Although Aaron Ramsey has been exasperating in Arsenal’s midfield at times, it is clear that the Welshman has the talent to be an influential member of the Arsenal squad but needs to learn that more often than not, less is more.
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