Do we need Walcott?

i'm not in favour of him leaving the club and i'm well aware of his deficiencies, but do we even really need him?

on his day his a good player. he finishes well and is absolutely rapid. against teams on the counter attack he is an extremely dangerous attacking outlet and has shown statistically, when fit, that he is effective in chipping in with our team's goals and assists.

however he can also be extremely frustrating - his touch is often poor and he often finds himself unable to beat defenders one on one - being much more effective running onto a through ball rather than running with the ball at his feet.

now i think he could be a key player in our team, but he doesn't seem to be willing to sign a contract, and as good a player as he is, i definitely don't think his abilities justify the amount of money he is allegedly asking for, in relation to other players at the club.

i think that wenger should give him a deadline as to when he needs to make a decision regarding his contract. if he agrees with the terms offered and signs, happy days - our squad remains strong. if he doesn't sign by the date, sell him in january.

we would most likely miss him to a certain extent, but if he were to leave i am confident we would sign a replacement in next summer's transfer window, or even in january.

what are your thoughts on the matter?