By Wayne Veysey
Chelsea have moved to the head of the queue of clubs pursuing Theo Walcott, Goal.com understands, but the European champions want to wait until next summer to sign the contract rebel on a free transfer.
The Blues have made clear their interest in the England international, who is believed to favour staying in London ahead of a move to the North West or the Continent.
Liverpool, the two Manchester clubs and Juventus are all on Walcott’s trail but they all fall short in one notable area.
“Location is key for Theo,” said one source well acquainted with the 23-year-old’s situation. “He is settled in the South East and would prefer to stay there.”
Walcott’s contract stand-off with Arsenal will now drag on into the New Year even though Arsene Wenger had issued a Christmas deadline to finalise the issue.
Discussions with the forward, which collapsed at the end of August, are continuing and senior officials have still not given up hope that he will sign a new deal.
Walcott would rather stay at Arsenal if they meet his demands of between £90,000- and £100,000-a-week wages and give him more opportunities to play in the centre-forward role that he craves.
The Gunners are aware that the player holds the greater power in talks, as his availability for nothing at the end of the season means that he could negotiate an enhanced signing-on fee and salary with new employers.
There is a fear at the top of the club that Walcott will “do a Mathieu Flamini” and follow in the footsteps of the Frenchman four years ago by leaving on a Bosman. This would deprive Arsenal of a potential January transfer fee of nearly £10 million for a player signed from Southampton in 2006 when he was 16.
