Report: Southampton must pay almost £100k a week to sign winger on loan

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Carlo Ancelotti is willing to let Theo Walcott leave Everton on loan but Southampton will have to stump up a substantial part of the winger’s £100,000-a-week wages, according to talkSPORT (live blog, 9.11am).

Two weeks after Tottenham Hotspur followed their heart and offered Gareth Bale a chance to rebuild his career in familiar surroundings, the Saints could be on the verge of a similarly nostalgia-inducing deal.

Walcott has fallen behind Richarlison, Alex Iwobi, Bernard and the darling of Goodison Park, James Rodriguez, in Ancelotti’s pecking order.

And, with the Everton boss listening to offers for his 31-year-old benchwarmer, Walcott could soon be wearing the red-and-white stripes of Southampton for the first time since 2006.

talkSPORT reports the South Coast club is keen to offer the 47-cap England international an emotional return to where it all began.

A short-term deal wouldn’t come cheap, however.

Walcott, who joined Everton in a £20 million deal from Arsenal almost three years ago, earns £100,000 a week on Merseyside and Southampton would have to contribute a large portion of his eye-watering wages (Spotrac).

Walcott has played just 12 minutes of Premier League football this season.

While the 31-year-old may have lost a yard of explosive pace, he could still be a perfect fit for a high-octane Southampton side that counters at breakneck speed under Ralph Hasenhuttl.