Walcott: "I never said nothing"

Theo Walcott's contract is up after next season, and as we know, negotiations - or at least discussions - have started on an extension. As is wont to happen during these things, there are rumors of...well, not sure what really.  Last week, Wenger said that talks with Walcott (or his representatives, not sure which) have started; Walcott said they hadn't.

In true internet/new media fashion, that was taken as a "bust-up", used as evidence of a wide gulf in positions between the two camps, and used as a sign that things were fractious between Walcott and Wenger - but before I get to the point of this piece, it's instructive to note that the two leading sources of this rumored disagreement were goal.com and bleacher report.

It finally got stupid enough today that Theo came out and said something publicly about it:

I don't normally comment on false stories about myself but reports about contract demands & bust-ups with the boss are complete nonsense...

— Theo Walcott (@theowalcott) March 26, 2015

There have been no contract talks as yet and my current focus is not on contracts but on doing my best for Arsenal FC.

— Theo Walcott (@theowalcott) March 26, 2015

In short: nothing to see here, move along. This is the usual dance that bored journalists do when they have nothing else to cover; there's nothing to this other than that. Will Theo sign? Will he leave? I don't know, but this "controversy" isn't going to play a part in it at all.