Vermaelen: Players powerless over Walcott future

Captain Thomas Vermaelen feels Theo Walcott is invaluable to Arsenal – but accepts there is little his team-mates can do to stop the England forward walking away at the end of the season.

Walcott was deployed in his preferred central striker’s role at Reading last night, where he netted the final goal in a 5-2 win which lifted the Gunners back up to within two points of fourth place.