Arsene Wenger believes Theo Walcott wants to stay with the Gunners, or else he wouldn’t have agreed to contract negotiations.

BBC Sport are running a piece on another twist in the rollercoaster that is Theo Walcott’s Contract: Part Two, and it seems like the boss truly believes the forward will stay at the club.

Wenger has remained firm on the fact that Walcott will not be moving this summer, no matter what happens with his pesky contract. In fact, the manager was eager to talk-up the 26-year-old’s chances of developing into a striker during his ‘golden years‘ and reckons he’ll be doing so for the Gunners.

“Being 26 to 32 is the best age as a striker and I wouldn’t like to miss that golden age. He can be transformed. He is naturally gifted to play in this position. I work with him in both situations, as a striker and as a wide player but the quality of the runs is so fantastic with the pace he has. When he was younger he was rushing his finishing but he is a good finisher now,” he said.

The boss also seems convinced the Englishman will stay at the club, saying, “He is part of us. Of the whole squad he is the player who has played the most games for us. He loves the club and I think he wants to stay. Once a player accepts talking to you, that means his first wish is to stay. If then you cannot find an agreement, that has nothing to do with loyalty. I don’t think his desire is to leave.”

Call me cynical, but these quotes seem like a deliberately push to make Walcott feel appreciated. It feels like his injury and subsequent time on the bench has damaged his confidence and Wenger is trying to re-instill this in him publicly.

I have no doubt that the player does want to stay but perhaps he just needs a little ego-boost before signing a new contract.