Liverpool desperate to sign Arsenal forward Theo Walcott in January; ...offers £100,000-a-week & striking role

Liverpool want to sign Arsenal’s Theo Walcott in January.

Kop boss Brendan Rodgers is willing to pay the England star £100,000-a-week AND play him in the central striking role he prefers.

Liverpool reckon they could land Walcott for just £8million as the unsettled 23-year-old is out of contract next summer.

But Rodgers needs Walcott to resist growing Arsenal pressure to sign a new deal before Christmas.

An Anfield source said: “Theo Walcott and Liverpool would be a perfect fit.

“It’s no secret we are looking for a striker to play with Luis Suarez and Fabio Borini.

“Theo ticks all the right boxes. He is young, he is fast and he has great skills.”

Arsene Wenger yesterday slapped a Christmas deadline on talks with Walcott.

The Arsenal boss said: “There is urgency. We want to sort it out before Christmas, one way or the other.”

So far, though, Arsenal have offered Walcott £75,000-a- week — significantly less than Liverpool have on the table.

Rodgers is also desperate to get Joe Cole’s £120,000-a- week wages off the payroll and will look to sell Jose Enrique and Stewart Downing.