Theo Walcott has just returned from injury (Picture: AP)

Theo Walcott is set to be handed a bumper new Arsenal deal despite having played just 38 matches since he last signed a new contract.

The England international has just returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury which had kept him sidelined since January.

But just one game into his return to Arsene Wenger’s side, Walcott is already in talks over a new deal at the Emirates, which will escalate him to among to top-earners at the club, according to the Mirror.

The 25-year-old’s current £90,000-a-week deal, which he signed 18 months ago, expires in 2016 but the Gunners hierarchy are keen to tie him down for a longer period.

His new contract is set to see him join the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, earning in the region of £135,000-a-week.

‘We are starting to sit down with him. I think he has one and a half years to go in December. It is never an easy job with him,’ said Wenger.

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