Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has urged Theo Walcott to sign a new contract with the club and hinted he will deploy him as a striker if he agrees to put pen-to-paper on a new deal.
Walcott has spent much of his career in a wide midfield role, but has claimed on numerous occasions that he believes he has what it takes to be a lead striker at Arsenal.
The Arsenal manager has confirmed that talks have started with Walcott's advisers over a new contract and he has insisted that the Gunners will not consider selling the players until next January's transfer window, even if an agreement over a new deal is not reached.
Arsene Wenger has used Alexis Sanchez, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck in wide roles this season, with Walcott struggling to get back into the Gunners line-up in the last few weeks since his return to action following a long-term knee-injury.
Yet Wenger has hinted that the 26-year-old could be used as a lead forward if he commits what the Arsenal boss believes will be the best years of his career to his club.
"It's not too late for him to become a striker," Wenger said. "I think his position will be striker. I work with him in both situations, as a striker and as a wide player, but the quality of the runs is so fantastic with the pace he has.
"He is a good finisher now. When he was younger he was rushing his finishing, but he is a good finisher now. I bought him at Southampton when he was 17 because I believe in his qualities as a good finisher and now the timing of his runs are very intelligent.
"He's at the best age, being born in 1989. Being 26 to 32 as a striker is the best age as a striker and I wouldn't like to miss that golden age.
"He is naturally gifted to play in this forward position, but he has different qualities. Olivier Giroud has a physical presence, back to goal, can head the ball. Theo is more a guy who is a runner, who goes behind."
Wenger accepts Walcott may be concerned by his lack of first team opportunities at Arsenal as he assesses his career options in the coming weeks, with Liverpool among the clubs linked with a move to secure the services of a player whose contract expires in the summer of 2016.
"You will ask whether he will play enough anywhere he will go because he will only be in a big club and in a big club the competition is there," Wenger added.
"He played over 200 games for us. In fact, of the whole squad he is the player who has played the most games for us. Nobody has played more for us than Theo Walcott. I think he has played 202 games and that means he is part of us.
"What happened recently is that he has been out for a year. The time to be competitive again is longer than you expect when you are a player. He is now sharp again, but it took him a while to get back to that level. They always think they are ready but he was not. Now he is ready."