Theo Walcott has signed a permanent deal with Southampton which means that he will remain at the Premier League club after the 2020-2021 season.
The 32-year-old right-winger joined Southampton last summer on loan from Everton. He has been able to impress Southampton coach, Ralph Hasenhuttl, well enough to warrant a permanent deal.
Before now, his contract with Everton was expected to expire this summer, three years after he left Arsenal to join the Merseyside club for a transfer fee worth €22.50 million. Since Everton failed to give him a new contract while on loan at Southampton, he had to agree to return to Southampton ahead of next season on a free transfer.
According to an announcement from Southampton, Theo Walcott has signed a two-year deal with the club which would see him remain at Southampton until 2023.
Though he has not been at his best at the club during his loan spell, he is seen as a delight to watch by many of the club’s fans which inspired the club’s board to continue to have faith in him.
Since he joined the club on loan, Theo Walcott has managed to score just three goals and provided three assists in 22 Premier League games.
After he signed the two years deal, Theo Walcott took to Twitter to share a series of tweets to express how delighted he is that he would return to Southampton on a permanent deal.
He wrote: “Southampton is a club that means so much to me, and it has been incredibly special for me to have spent this season back at St Mary’s.
“But to now have the opportunity to return for a further two years means such a great deal to me, both personally and professionally.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to the club, my teammates, and the fans for making me feel so welcome back here, and I can’t wait to continue pulling on the shirt in the next couple of seasons.
“I would also like to say thank you to everyone at @Everton who have been so good to me throughout my time with the club, and I wish them every success in the future.”
.@SouthamptonFC is a club that means so much to me, and it has been incredibly special for me to have spent this season back at St Mary’s.
— Theo Walcott (@theowalcott) May 18, 2021
But to now have the opportunity to return for a further two years means such a great deal to me, both personally and professionally. pic.twitter.com/IWxHLTMwaW
While the manager of Southampton Hasenhuttl said: “Theo has been a very good influence for us this season.
“He is a very professional player who does things in the right way and has a very positive impact not only on our young players but on the dressing room as a whole.”
Theo Walcott who has lost his place in England national team has helped Southampton to remain on the 14th spot on the league table with 43 points in 36 games so far this season. He is expected to be in action against Leeds United at 18:00 today, May 18, 2021.
