Theo Walcott and Arsenal are closing in on an agreement over a new contract, according to the England international himself.

Arsenal and Walcott were embroiled in a contract saga a couple of years ago, with a deal being agreed only in January 2013, with just six months left on his contract.

That three-and-a-half year-deal only has a year to run left on it now, with Arsenal and Walcott's agents in talks over extending the 26-year-old's stay at the club.

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It looks like it will be a little more easier this time, with Arsene Wenger, no doubt, keen on not dragging the situation all the way up to January again, while Walcott is also intent on staying at the Emirates so that he can continue banging in the goals for his club.

"My agent has talked to the club," Walcott was quoted by The Guardian, who go on to say the Arsenal man is looking for more than £100,000 a week in his new deal. "I enjoy playing for this club, so I am just letting them crack on with things and I'll continue playing football.

"We'll just play the waiting game and see what happens but I'm sure it won't be long. This squad, for me, is one of the best I've been involved in. I want to be part of that."

Walcott insisted if the contract talks do drag on, it will not affect his game, even if the last time that happened, Wenger kept the forward on the bench for long periods.

"It's not in my thought process at all. You don't want to dwell on it, you want to play well and if it happens it happens," he added.

"I won't let that delay the way I'm going to be playing this season. I can't let that affect me, I want to do well for this club."

Walcott believes this Arsenal squad is the best he has been a part of since his move from Southampton as a 16-year-old, and, therefore, he has absolutely no plans on leaving.

"There is something special in this group," the forward added. "I think successful teams stay together for a long time.

'We have got to keep this group together."

Walcott found it a little difficult to break into the Arsenal side after recovering from a cruciate injury last season, with Wenger having a plethora of options in the wide attacking department.

However, Walcott made a case for himself with a hat-trick against West Brom in the final day of the Premier League season playing as a central striker.

That pushed Wenger to start with Walcott in the FA Cup final against Aston Villa at the expense of Olivier Giroud, and the England man did not let his manager down, scoring the opening goal to set Arsenal on their way to a second straight title.