Theo Walcott’s career has come full circle with the Everton winger rejoining Southampton 14 years after leaving his boyhood club.
The 31-year-old was in the final year of his Everton contract and his only start for Carlo Ancelotti’s in-form team this season was the Carabao Cup second round win against Salford. Having completed the signings of the defender Ben Godfrey and goalkeeper Robin Olsen on deadline day, Everton accepted Saints’ offer of a loan deal with wages split between the two clubs.
“I had a few opportunities from other clubs but as soon as Southampton came in for me, it’s part of me and has made me into the player I am,” Walcott said after completing his medical. “It’s in my heart. I will probably cry, I bet, when I first play and it means so much.”
Walcott earns a basic £110,000-a-week at Everton and also cost a £20m fee when signing for Sam Allardyce from Arsenal in January 2018. The winger, who has had an underwhelming spell at Goodison Park, left Southampton in January 2006, having risen through the club’s academy to make his first-team debut at 16. “All the people that made this move happen, I can’t thank them enough. Honestly, I’m so pleased,” he said. “I was seriously lost for words when Southampton came on the table, and for me it was such an easy decision.”
Everton had earlier made Godfrey their fifth signing of the window after agreeing a £25m fee rising to £30m with Norwich for the central defender. The England Under-21 defender said: “I like to bring pace to the game. I like to play out from the back. I can play in a range of positions: left or right as a centre-back, I have played full-back and holding midfield. I will play wherever the manager sees fit as I absolutely trust his opinion.”
Everton completed another deal shortly before the deadline when the Sweden international Olsen signed on a season-long loan from Roma. The club made inquiries for Sergio Romero at Manchester United and Paulo Gazzaniga at Spurs before switching their attention to the 30-year-old, who will increase competition with the struggling Jordan Pickford. Both United and Spurs were reluctant to sanction the loan deals that Everton preferred, prompting Romero’s wife Eliana Guercio to express her anger on Instagram.
Guercio wrote: “Sergio Romero worked hard for his club. Last trophy they won, they lifted it with him. He helped the team reach 4 finals/semifinals and then he was left on the bench only to lose them all. It is time for them to return the opportunity and let him go. Respect for once!”