Pundit questions Sam Allardyce’s tactical plan as Everton chase £20m deal for Theo Walcott this week

Follow us on Google Discover

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott could be on the move to Everton.

Pundit Leon Osman has told Sky Sports’ The Debate that he isn’t sure where Theo Walcott will play if he does complete a move to Everton.

Walcott, 28, was touted as one of English football’s top future talents when he burst onto the scene with Southampton, and Arsenal won the race for his signature in January 2006.

The forward hasn’t quite lived up to expectations though, and he is now something of a forgotten man at Arsenal having failed to start a single Premier League game this season.

The England international needs playing time to stand any chance of playing at the World Cup in Russia this summer, and he looks poised to leave Arsenal after 12 years at the club.

According to The Mirror, Everton are hoping to tie up a £20million deal for Walcott this week, with manager Sam Allardyce keen to add him to his squad at Goodison Park.

Walcott has been a victim of his versatility at Arsenal, as he hasn’t been able to nail down a spot as a winger or as a striker, but one pundit believes he may find a similar problem at Everton.

Former Toffees midfielder Leon Osman has told Sky Sports’ The Debate that he doesn’t quite understand where Allardyce is intending on playing Walcott, as he has balance with Gylfi Sigurdsson on the left and Yannick Bolasie on the right.

With Cenk Tosun brought in to boost the attack, it’s unclear just where Walcott will feature, but Osman feels that he does have the pace that Everton need, and thinks he could score regularly for the Toffees.

“I wouldn’t know where Sam sees him playing. He’s getting Yannick Bolasie back on the right, [Gylfi] Sigurdsson’s now found a role on the left and they are just finding a bit of shape so I’m actually not sure where he fits,” said Osman. “That [pace] is what Everton need, they’ve been without pace this season and in an attacking sense its been really tough to break teams down.”

“They’ve defended deeper since Sam’s come in and not had the pace to hit people on the counter-attack so he’ll certainly do that. He seems to be the type of player who’ll get in a rich vein and will score goals in a bunch so maybe, if he started playing regularly, he could do that for Everton,” he added.