The north London club were due to begin negotiating a new deal with Walcott at the start of this month after talks were pushed back during the summer but they have still yet to materialise.
Walcott has just 20 months to run on his current contract, which ends in June 2010, and Arsenal have taken a risk by allowing him to run down more time after his excellent start to the new campaign.
Walcott has established himself as a regular for club and country this season, starring in all four of England's World Cup qualifiers and scoring a stunning hat-trick in England's 4-1 victory over Croatia last month.
The player has not been pressing for a new contract and, privately, is adamant that his development would be best served by continuing to work under Arsene Wenger but he is growing increasingly concerned that he has heard nothing from the club and there will be alarm in some quarters if the situation is still the same by the new year.
Arsenal recognise they may have to offer Walcott up to eight times his current salary of about £15,000-a-week to keep him out of the clutches of covetous rivals.
Emmanuel Adebayor and William Gallas, who earn around £80,000 a week, are believed to be the top earners at the club but even they are dwarfed by Walcott's international colleagues, such as Frank Lampard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, who are all in the £5-£8 million a year bracket.
Arsenal announced record pre-tax profits of £36.7 million for the year ending May 2008 but they have a strict wage policy.
There will be no shortage of takers if Walcott decides that his career would be best served by a move away from Emirates Stadium.
Chelsea have privately made it clear that they would break the bank to sign the teenager while Liverpool continue to court the boyhood Anfield fan.
Manchester City and Manchester United, who could lose Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid next summer, are monitoring the situation, as are leading clubs on the Continent.
Arsenal could command a fee of £40 million for Walcott given his immense potential and his age – he does not turn 20 until next March.
Arsenal would not be drawn on Walcott's situation. A spokesman said: "We don't comment on the specifics of player contracts."
Source: telegraph.co.uk
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