Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Rocky7 
Date:Tuesday October 9 2012
Time: 10:54AM
UK time is: 17:50:29
Choose your club
Other Sites
Network Navigation
Vital Partners
'If It's Football, It's Vital'
'Theo Should Sign Or Face A Bloody Good Thrashing'
Every now and again Peter Hill-Wood likes to get on his soap-box for a good old Prince Phillip style rant in his quirky, old Etonian, demented, drunken grandpa type way.
This week`s subject is Theo Walcott and wage demands.
Speaking to, what I can only now assume is the newspaper he owns, The Daily Star, PHW says in no uncertain terms that Theo Walcott has been offered a good contract and he can either sign it or bugger off.
'We have got our general overall wage structure and we are not prepared to break it for anybody, we have made an offer which he didn't think was acceptable and that is the end of it. We think it is a very reasonable offer."
'For the moment his people are still talking to us and we hope it will be resolved. But don't ask me when, because I haven't a clue".
'I hope that he will eventually come round and sign. It will be a pity if he does not, but the whole issue of pay for footballers has got totally out of hand and they don't get terribly well advised a lot of the time.'
Even though he may come across as a snooty, pompous old so and so most of the time, he does have a point, and whilst Walcott is a player I dearly hope we retain, a line must be drawn somewhere or we`ll get to the point where these players are earning more in a week than most of us could hope to earn in a lifetime.
Seconds Out! Vital Boxing is here!
Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Monaco
Your Comments
With a wage bill that has jumped £20m in the last financial year I imagine he does have a point.
Amos.
I really do rate Walcott, probably more than most Gooners, and maybe more than I should, but if he really does love Arsenal as he claims, then any wage that improves on his previous contract should be acceptable to him. Other wise he's just talking bollox.
Rocky7
Make him right, fkin hell it's 75k a week ffs. If it really is about footballing reasons then go and play for a mid table club up front, if you really think that's where your career lies, good luck with that.
shewore
loving Hill-Wood's openness and honesty. And I think he's right.
damiano_tommassi
i am neutral on this but i am confused if we actually have wage structure or not because according to wenger when commenting on the rvp saga earlier, we dont
Joe_@**
Totally agree with your comment above, Rocky7. I am not normally cynical but I think that Theo's side trailing the talks and his remarks that he loves the club and would love to stay (which is what he's been saying all along while refusing to sign) is him lining up the club to take the blame when he turns down a new contract. All this stuff about playing centrally is a red herring to distract us from the fact that he wants more money than the club is prepared to offer.
FunGunner
And well said shewore and damiano_tommassi.
FunGunner
amazed that some gooners are actually criticizing the club's stand on this & saying Theo should be paid what he wants-which would make our highest paid player. I'm seriously sick to death of these footballers who think they're the next Maradona and deserve to be paid obscene wages. Go ***** off anywhere you want, Theo. I seriously don't give a ***** anymore.
jaelle
Theo's got to be reasonable about this and realize he just cannot be the club's highest earner, coming from the bench. He is an intelligent lad and should understand the disruption it could mean for team spirit if he were to get that pay aspect of his wish. As for playing through the middle, just a gambit to reach the real motivation: money.
Naijagunner
I'm afraid that while there are other clubs crazy enough to pay him what he wants him being sensible is not going to happen.
DBerg
It's a negotiation process and if Theo's agents feels they can get more by brinkmanship, then they will try that. The club is adopting a sensible approach to this, and Amos pointed to the increase in wages which was quite substantial (despite not having to pay win bonuses). I'm hoping Theo will eventually sign.
prits
my wish is that all the football associations worldwide get together and put a cap on wages, say 20,000 a week i dont see many if any of these so called superstars saying " im not playing football for 20 grand a week, im of to get a job in afactory " food for thought or what
cornish gooner
Guys, leave off Theo, poor lad will only get around 40k per week after tax, how can you expect him to live on that ;-) The flip side to that is that the contract on offer from Arsenal gives him around 2m per year net, so 10m over a 5 year contract. If he doubles his money on a Bosman, then I'm guessing that's potentially 20m over a 5 year contract. Now does anyone think he'll stay? I think he's off on a Bosman depending on how much is on offer elsewhere.
Gooner_Vin
If Walcott doesnt sign by the end of this year, its highly likely he will be sold. The probability of a Bossman transfer is low.
Deltaforce
DF is right and so are quite a few other posters on this subject. The club will put Walcott on sale if this thing isn't resolved by December; he knows so and his agent knows so. All we are seeing is just a 'dance' for the suitor with the highest/better bid; on the side of both parties. It would also mean limited playing time for the England winger since he will be taken off the manager's long term plan.
Naijagunner
At what point is Walcott free to discuss terms with another club? If it's January - which I believe it is ('within the last 6 months of the contract', isn't it?) - then you can't sell him. basically, at this point he has zero resale value because he's available for free from January. Any fee that could be got for him would be minimal. Looks like he'll either wind his neck in and NOT do an Ashley Cole (ie accept a hefty pay rise and sign, rather than scream about not being paid more), or he will leave on a Bosman.
damiano_tommassi
You would have to find a desperate buyer in January, who would pay 2-3M for him (I'm thinking Liverpool if they don't recall Carroll).
prits
Better to get 2-3million for him than nothing, I guess. Fact is, even though he may start speaking with other teams by January, he can't leave fo free until the end of his contract or the summer. That is 6 months in which he may be off the limelight, playing in the reserves and possibly, suffer a drop in his valuation. Very few pro footballers would want that.
Naijagunner
By the way, Theo looked to have copped an injury bad enough to have him replaced in the San Marino game. Hope he recovers quickly enough for the resumption of Prem league action.
Naijagunner
I wouldn't take £2-3 million for him in January. I've always suspected that he's a mercenary with little deep feeling for the club, but he does strike me as being very professional nonetheless, and I'd back him to play an important part in our season even if he knows that he's off at the end of it.
ArsenalRob
Have Your Say
Recent Articles
Women's F.A. Cup Final Preview (Saturday May 25 2013)
Wilshere - More Points Needed From Big Teams (Thursday May 23 2013)
Who Is Your Vital Arsenal Player of the Season? (Tuesday May 21 2013)
Newcastle United 0 Arsenal 1 (Monday May 20 2013)
VIDEO: Wenger Praises 'Exceptional' Attitude (Monday May 20 2013)
Arsene Wenger, Now Is The Time (Monday May 20 2013)
The Moment That Made It All Worthwhile (Sunday May 19 2013)
Happy St Totteringham's Day To Gooners Everwhere (Sunday May 19 2013)
Team News: Last Game Of The Season (Sunday May 19 2013)
The Squeaky Bum Preview (Friday May 17 2013)
Archived Articles
Vital Members League (view all)
| 1. | nikolaijns | 60 |
| 2. | Rocky7 | 53 |
| 3. | Naijagunner | 48 |
| 4. | Wyn Mills | 34 |
| 5. | prits | 22 |
| 6. | flv | 21 |
| 7. | Nwankwo25 | 20 |
| 8. | gunnerkid107 | 19 |
| 9. | No 10 | 16 |
| 10. | julieloveshenry4ever | 16 |
League Results (view all)
| Latest Results | ||||
| Newcastle | 0 | - | 1 | Arsenal |
| Arsenal | 4 | - | 1 | Wigan |
| Q.P.R. | 0 | - | 1 | Arsenal |
| Arsenal | 1 | - | 1 | Man Utd |
| Fulham | 0 | - | 1 | Arsenal |
| Arsenal | 0 | - | 0 | Everton |
League Table (view table)
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1. Man Utd | 38 | 28 | 5 | 5 | 43 | 89 |
| 2. Man City | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 32 | 78 |
| 3. Chelsea | 38 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 36 | 75 |
| 4. Arsenal | 38 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 35 | 73 |
| 5. Spurs | 38 | 21 | 9 | 8 | 20 | 72 |
| 6. Everton | 38 | 16 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 63 |
| 7. Liverpool | 38 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 28 | 61 |
Breaking League News
| A New Regime?
» Man Utd : 25/05/2013 17:27:00
|
| Maiga to Leave
» West Ham : 25/05/2013 17:21:00
|
| Champions League Final - Match Day Moments
» Chelsea : 25/05/2013 17:13:00
|
| Biggest Mourinho Comeback Hint Yet!
» Chelsea : 25/05/2013 17:08:00
|
| Two Future First Team Coaches?
» Chelsea : 25/05/2013 16:56:00
|
| It Might Well Be Isco
» Chelsea : 25/05/2013 16:55:00
|
| Women's F.A. Cup Final
» Arsenal : 25/05/2013 16:00:00
|
Current Site Poll (view all polls)
|
|