Theo Walcott facing uncertain Everton future

Theo Walcott is facing an uncertain future at Everton as the club continue to reshape under Marcel Brands this summer, reports the Guardian.

Walcott arrived from Arsenal in a £20 million move last January, with Everton looking to add pace to their forward line.

He initially made a positive impact at the club, bagging three goals before the end of last season and becoming a key player under Sam Allardyce.

This season saw him play a similar role under Marco Silva and bag two goals in the first three games of the campaign and he’s started 23 of 32 Premier League games under Silva this season.

However, with just four goals all season, and none since December 26th, questions have started to be raised about his future at the club, and he has managed only 16 minutes since the Merseyside derby on March 3rd.

At 30-years-old he does not fit the profile of the player that Marcel Brands wants at the club, and they would be happy to take his £110,000-a-week wages off their bill so that the funds could be better used elsewhere.

Indeed, Brands’ comments at the Football Innovation Summit in London on Tuesday suggested that Walcott would not have been on their radar had he been in charge last January. They also hinted that his profile is not one that fits into the Dutchman’s model.

“The players we brought in last year were all under 25, so we don’t want to invest big money in players who are older,” he said.

“Everton is a club that also has to sell players, so it is necessary to get younger players to invest in. That’s why we invested in young players last summer. [Lucas] Digne was 24, [Yerry] Mina 23, Richarlison 21; so we look to players in the age group 20-25/26.”

The problem for Everton is if there would be any interest in Walcott this summer. His form over this season is unlikely to have attracted many suitors if any.

Likewise, his high wages would put off most clubs, who would struggle to find a middle ground that would suit all parties. It’s also debatable whether Walcott would be willing to take a pay cut should he find himself on the fringes at Everton.

Former club Southampton have been listed as a possible destination, but they intend to look towards youth under Ralph Hasenhuttl, thus eliminating Walcott from their potential target list.