THEO WALCOTT WORRIED OVER ARSENAL MISSING £30M SIGNING

Theo Walcott admits he is ‘worried’ by Arsenal’s decision to not sign Liam Delap ahead of Chelsea this summer.

Delap impressed in his first full season in the Premier League, scoring 12 goals for Ipswich Town who were relegated from the top flight.

The 22-year-old attracted widespread interest ahead of the summer transfer window and was available due to a £30 million relegation release clause in his deal with Ipswich.

Manchester United held extensive talks to sign Delap but it was Chelsea who won the race for the former Manchester City striker earlier this month.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are also in the market for a new striker and have held talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.

But Walcott believes Arsenal should have been in the race with Chelsea and United to sign Delap.

‘Strikers are selfish, they just want to score goals,’ Walcott said in an interview with The Athletic.

‘But now, all of a sudden, the wingers are starting to get more selfish because they want to cut in and do their thing. They’re not connecting like they once did.

‘That’s why Delap going to Chelsea worries me as an Arsenal fan. I know they have been going for that No. 9, that Didier Drogba type, it’s that curse of the No. 9.

‘Delap can break that curse because he’s a really good striker. He’s the next one after Harry Kane for England.

‘[It] disappoints me as an Arsenal fan if you don’t go after someone like that.

‘You can see it in him as well, you can see his fight. He doesn’t care who he plays against.’

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2025-06-24T12:18:11Z