Arsenal Extend Walcott, Cazorla’s Contracts

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Sreya

Arsenal have announced the contract extensions of Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla just days before the Community Shield encounter against Chelsea FC.

Theo Walcott has signed a new four year deal at the London club which will see the forward earn £140,000 per week, a substantial improvement on Walcott’s previous wages at £100,000 per week.

Santi Cazorla also agreed an extension on his current contract. The Spanish midfielder was offered a two-year extension which he agreed to, earlier this summer and the official confirmation came in today. Santi Cazorla would now stay at Arsenal until July 2017.

“We’re delighted to have extended the contracts of Santi and Theo. Both are top quality players who are hugely important and influential to our squad. As well as their huge contributions on the pitch, they both have a great deal of experience and are very popular off the pitch. We’re very pleased with them both signing contract extensions, as it provides our squad with further stability of quality.”

– Arsene Wenger.

Theo Walcott is the longest serving member of the Arsenal squad, the English forward having joined from Southampton as a 16-year-old in 2006. Walcott has seen both ups and downs in his Arsenal career, with the 26-year-old going through a contractual stalemate back in 2012/13 season. Walcott had chosen to stay with the Gunners back then and has been handsomely rewarded ever since.

With two FA Cup medals under his belt, the new contract puts Theo Walcott in the same pay bracket as marquee signings Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Injuries have plagued Walcott almost every season, but when fit, he is one of the most potent goalscoring options for Arsene Wenger. Theo Walcott’s goals and pace on the flanks will prove extremely crucial, should Arsenal aim to mount a challenge for the Premier League title.

Santi Cazorla joined the Gunners in August of 2012 and has proved himself time and again. Although he was deployed in an advanced role initially, Cazorla has displayed his versatility by playing a range of positions in the central midfield. Cazorla re-invented himself as a deep-lying playmaker last season, slotting in Arsenal’s double pivot alongside Francis Coquelin. Arsenal’s increase in performance quality coincided with Cazorla’s rise in form. Playing behind Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, Cazorla could control the tempo of the game and it is inevitable that Wenger would once again use him in a similar position.

Arsenal have been slowly strengthening their squad over the last few seasons to challenge for the title, and extending Walcott and Cazorla’s contracts would bring in the required stability to do that.