Walcott on the verge of completing a move back to the club where he began his professional career
Monday 5 October 2020 22:31, UK
Southampton are close to agreeing a deal with Everton to sign Theo Walcott on loan, with the winger poised to complete a return to St Mary's Stadium having travelled south to complete his medical.
The two clubs are expected to pay half of the forward's wages each, and Southampton have until 11pm on Monday to finalise a move for their former player.
Walcott joined Everton from Arsenal for a fee of around £20m in January 2018 and has gone on to make 85 appearances for the club.
However, he is into the last year of his contract and does not appear to be key to Carlo Ancelotti's plans this season, having only played 12 minutes of Everton's first four Premier League games.
Walcott - who has 47 England caps - began his career at Southampton, before moving to Arsenal in 2006.
Southampton continue to be active in the transfer market as the deadline approaches and signed 21-year-old midfielder Ibrahima Diallo from French side Brest on Sunday.
The club have also shown interest in Everton midfielder Tom Davies, Toulouse's Ibrahim Sangare and Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek, as Ralph Hasenhuttl continues to look for a replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who joined Tottenham earlier in the window.
They also made an approach to take Brandon Williams on loan, although it is believed Manchester United would insist on the 20-year-old full-back being guaranteed a certain number of games before allowing him to move to St Mary's.
Transfer Deadline Day - October 5
The summer transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday, October 5 with a feast of activity throughout the day involving the biggest names in football.
Some of the highlights to enjoy on Sky Sports News and across our Sky Sports platforms:
You can also follow the stories on Sky Sports' digital platforms, with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
Here's all you need to know about Deadline Day and how to keep across all the deals and drama with Sky Sports.
