Theo Walcott has urged his Arsenal
team-mates to end their eight-year trophy drought after the striker
finally signed a £100,000-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.
All smiles: Theo Walcott has finally put pen to paper on a new deal at the Emirates
Handy men: Walcott (right) and Arsene Wenger shake on it after the striker signs
After ending any speculation that he
would leave the club, Walcott said: 'I am very happy to have signed a
new contract here at Arsenal.
'Thanks to everyone for their continued support, especially the manager, everyone at the club and most importantly the fans.
'I have made it clear from the start
that I wanted to stay at Arsenal so I am pleased we have agreed a deal
that everyone is happy with.
'What’s important now is for the team to realise its potential and win trophies.'
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 baulked at £75,000 per week in August as he held out for a
contract closer to £100,000.
Wenger has seen some of his brightest talents leave the Emirates in the past two summers.
Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Alex Song
and the Premier League's leading goalscorer this season Robin van Persie
have all departed and the Frenchman was desperate to keep Walcott on
board.
Congratulations: Walcott with team-mates Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (left) and Wojciech Szczesny (right)
On alert: Arsene Wenger was concerned that another of his prized assets would leave the club
Problem solved: Arsene Wenger managed to convince Walcott to stay at the club
Crisis averted: Samir Nasri (left) moved to Manchester City and Cesc Fabregas (right) left for Barcelona in 2011
The Frenchman had said that he was '99 per cent' certain that Walcott would agree terms before the weekend.
Yesterday, he told The Sun: 'I hope it will be signed before the weekend. There is a possibility. My optimism is at 99 per cent now.'
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.
Big loss: Robin van Persie left Arsenal last summer for Manchester United
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