Theo Walcott seems to have become a bit of a ‘has-been’ at Arsenal since getting injured in January 2014.

Since returning he has struggled to get into Arsene Wenger’s first-team and was involved in an incident where his Twitter was updated whilst he was sat on the bench during the Gunners’ game against Hull. The winger has one year left on his contract and many believe it is time to cut ties if he wants to carry on playing football.

This season is 26-year-old’s ninth in the Premier League since he joined from Southampton in 2006. While many fans may not see it, a lot has changed at the London club since he first joined as a bright-eyed 18-year-old. In his second season at the club he made 40 appearances and scored seven times but since then he has been through a change of ground, a change of ownership and a change in finances which has seen his gaffer be able to afford bigger and better players from across the seas.

Before he had Andrei Arshavin and Lukas Podolski to compete with – players with similar playing styles and stats to him – so he was a good enough match for them, but now he has to compete against the likes of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck. This has all led to him only making twelve appearances in all competitions this campaign and in those games he has managed to score three times. Whilst Walcott was out injured the other players around him, like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin, have had chance to develop and grow, so the England international has struggled to find his place back into the team.

The way Wenger is playing it seems like he is trying to suggest that Arsenal do not need Walcott as much as they used to. In 2013, it seemed the boss believed his player was still an important part of the squad as a new £100,000 a-week contract was agreed but since then it seems Wenger may be changing his mind on his importance at the club. With just one year left on his current deal it seems like the tides have really turned and maybe Walcott needs to consider moving on rather than trying to find his way back into the team. He is still a young player with a lot more to give and he still has the chance to revive a career which seems in the danger of stalling.

It may seem hard to move away from the bright lights of Arsenal and all that it offers but if Walcott wants to carry on being a top footballer then he has some serious decisions to make. The Englishman has already been linked with Liverpool and Manchester City who are in need of young home-grown players, so he will not be taking a step down. Many young players, although having a fabulous career at one club for a long time, find that moving to another club can bring a second spurt of energy – look at Frank Lampard at Man City!

Walcott has a lot of thinking to do but the decision to an outsider seems obvious – it is time to take the next step in your career.

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