Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has reaffirmed his intention to play Theo Walcott as a striker long-term.

Wenger said the England winger's long term future is through the middle.

"Walcott can play on the flank, but if you ask me where do I see him in the future, it is through the middle. If you ask him, he will tell you as well through the middle. Why? Because he has electric pace, and he has top top quality in the timing of his runs.

"If you have that quality, if you analyse that, it is the quality of his receptions, the space where he gets the ball basically, that is above average compared to many players.

"He can play on the flank he can play through the middle. Cristiano Ronaldo is still officially playing on the wing. But Ronaldo always scored a lot of goals on the flanks because at Man United he played on the right, and scored 30 goals.

"He is top in the air, very good header of the ball. That is certainly not the strength of Walcott, but the quality of his runs and his finishing is top class as well."