| SOUTHAMPTON were last night preparing to bid farewell to Theo Walcott, the most sought-after youngster in English football, as they accepted that he has set his heart on joining Arsenal rather than Chelsea.
Rupert Lowe, the Southampton chairman, announced yesterday lunchtime that he had yet to accept Arsenal’s projected £12 million bid and was expecting more offers in addition to the one he had received from Chelsea, which is potentially worth a staggering £15 million to the South Coast club.
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| However, Southampton’s hopes of generating an auction for Walcott’s services were extinguished last night when the 16-year-old forward made clear that he was interested only in moving to Arsenal. He, his family and his representatives, the Key Sports agency, have told Lowe that they view Arsenal as the ideal club for his long-term progress and Arsène Wenger as the perfect manager to oversee his development.
Arsenal’s bid — a downpayment of £5 million with up to £7 million to follow dependent on his achievements — is less lucrative than that from Chelsea, but the Southampton board has come to accept that it cannot stand in the teenager’s way. They recognise that Walcott has helped the club by allowing them to command a fee rather than exercising his right to take his case to a tribunal, which would have entitled them to nothing more than a “development fee”, possibly little more than £1 million.
There was no formal announcement last night, but a deal is thought to be imminent after Lowe discussed the matter with several of his fellow directors at an FA Youth Cup fourth-round tie against Aston Villa at St Mary’s, which Southampton won 1-0. Walcott did not play in the match, having already established himself at first-team level this season, making 23 senior appearances and scoring five goals.
Walcott is expected to complete his move before the end of the week, with his £100-a-week wages set to rocket when he turns professional on his 17th birthday in March. |
