Former Arsenal star claims Real Madrid would finish eighth in Premier League – “Will struggle against Leeds” | OneFootball

At a time when the Premier League continues to garner almost limitless funds, making it harder and harder for European clubs to financially compete, Theo Walcott has made a controversial statement.

The former Arsenal legend has made a bold prediction regarding how things would have panned Real Madrid were involved in the Premier League.

Walcott’s take on Real Madrid in Premier League

In a recent interaction with Amazon Prime UK, the former England international confidently claimed that Alvaro Arbeloa’s star-studded squad would severely struggle with the physical and environmental demands of the Premier League.

When asked to guess where Real Madrid would rank, Walcott stated that they would completely miss out on Champions League and Europa League qualification and finish as low as eighth.

“Eighth. I feel they may struggle at Crystal Palace and Leeds away. The weather plays its part as well,” he said.

Walcott’s controversial take, however, stands in stark contrast to the reality of Real Madrid’s undisputed European pedigree.

Walcott’s bold take won’t likely sit well with Real Madrid fans. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Los Blancos currently boast a staggering 15 UEFA Champions League titles – a historic tally that equals the combined total of every single English club in history.

In fact, heavyweights like Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, and Manchester City need their collective historical successes just to match Madrid’s trophy cabinet.

Walcott’s controversial take stood in stark contrast to his fellow pundits. Both Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer predicted that Real Madrid would comfortably finish in the top four.

However, even Rooney agreed with Walcott’s underlying point, noting that away matches in the Premier League are substantially tougher than the typical fixtures found in the Spanish calendar.