Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger confident of new Theo Walcott deal

Arsene Wenger is confident Arsenal can broker a deal to keep Theo Walcott at the club, with the England forward having signed off his Premier League campaign with a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over West Brom.

Walcott, who has yet to commit his long-term future to the Gunners, is out of contract at the end of next season and laid down a marker to be included in the starting XI for the FA Cup final against Aston Villa at Wembley with a blistering first-half display from a central striker's role.

Walcott completed a first half hat-trick in just 37 minutes and Wenger is confident Arsenal can conclude successful talks with representatives of the 26-year-old in the coming months.

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"Without a hat-trick, with a hat-trick, we want him to stay," Wenger said. "We are in negotiations. We are starting to speak with his agent, and that is before he had made his hat-trick.

"Theo is a good scorer, but he has been out for a year. A year in a football is a long, long time, and it takes time to be back at your best, [to regain] your sharpness and confidence.

"I have always said that he can play in the middle because he has good movement and good finishing. He did that well today.

"I hope he stays free of injuries now. He has had a few doubts on the injury front, and that is never good. You have to be consistently present to express your full potential."