Everton continue to make waves in this summer’s transfer window and the club are subject to ongoing links with several players, including Arsenal‘s Theo Walcott for a rumoured £30 million.

The Toffees are determined to emerge from no man’s land in the middle of the Premier League table, and are now going all out in the transfer market; a strategy which they hope will see them start to challenge on multiple fronts.

A club of Everton’s stature need to be playing regularly in Europe. Finishing outside the European places is seen as a failure, but at the same time the extra games brought about by continental competition can see the club struggle on the domestic front.

It’s for this reason that manager Ronald Koeman and Director of Football Steve Walsh are using their new-found funds to build a deep squad full of similar quality throughout.



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The latest player to be linked with a move to Goodison Park is Gunners attacker Walcott, who could be angling for a move as his current club look at bringing in wide attackers who would threaten his place in the side.

What Is Walcott?

One of the ongoing issues for Walcott has been the doubt around which position gets the most from his skill set.

For some time the player has considered his best position to be that of a central striker, and has spoken on numerous occasions about this preference.

But more recently he changed his mind, perhaps in a bid to secure more first team football at a time when, ironically, Arsene Wenger wanted to use him as a striker.

Last season he spent much of his time playing from the right wing, and though it saw him get plenty of game time early in the campaign, this tailed off towards the end of the season.

He remained on the bench for the FA Cup final, and only played 11 minutes of Arsenal’s five league games in May.

Regardless of game time it became clear that Walcott’s best position is as a wide forward or right winger, and thanks to a developing trend across the world of football, these players are often the most attack minded players in a team rather than mere wide midfielders.

Why Should Walcott Leave Arsenal?

Having already signed Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal have also been linked to Thomas Lemar and Kylian Mbappe, both of Monaco.

Arsenal transfer target Riyad Mahrez was heavily linked earlier in the transfer window, so it’s obvious that Wenger is still on the lookout for players in wide attacking areas, which could mean even less game time for Walcott.

The 28-year-old will be looking to secure a place in the England squad ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and he’ll need regular first team football in order to do so.

Sad to see the amount of disrespect that Theo gets from the fans. I'll always love him, but if it is a 30 million bid, got to take it ? — Ian Wright (@IanWright0) July 16, 2017

Arsenal might also see an opportunity to cash in on the player, which will then help to fund their other moves in the transfer market.

The rumoured £30million fee could be useful, especially as one of the Monaco pair — Mbappe especially — could cost more than double that.

As Ian Wright tweeted recently, it might be best for both the player and the club if he moved on.

Where Would He Fit At Everton?

Though his reasons for leaving Arsenal would primarily revolve around a predicted lack of game time, there’s no guarantee that he would be a regular at Everton either.

Kevin Mirallas, Ademola Lookman, Sandro Ramirez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Yannick Bolasie, who’s likely to return this year, can all play in wide areas and will be challenging for first team spots.

Koeman occasionally uses creative midfielders from the flanks and the likes of Ross Barkley, Tom Davies, Wayne Rooney, and Gylfi Sigurdsson — should he arrive from Swansea — could all be used in these positions at some point.

Despite this competition, Everton could offer Walcott a first team role as a right winger while Bolasie returns to full fitness, with the younger players and those from other positions filling in when needed.

Weeks with multiple fixtures will be commonplace in the season ahead, so it's likely that he would get at least one outing should he stay fit.

A front three of Mirallas, Rooney, and Walcott would provide Everton with a trio of players looking to prove, for various reasons, that they can play at the highest level, catapulting their team up the table and challenging for honours in the process.

£30million is a good price for the player because it will mean his new club will try to get a return on their investment by playing him regularly. At the same time it’s also good for the club as this type of fee is quite low in today’s market, especially for an experienced English player.

It could well turn out to be a good move for all concerned. Everton get another high profile name, more experience, and more squad depth, and the player gets the chance to prove himself ahead of the World Cup.