Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe says he’d love to sign Jack Wilshere on a permanent deal at the end of the season, but admits no talks have taken place with Arsenal.
Fearing he may not get regular game time at the Emirates, the England international opted to move to the South Coast in the summer and has since become a key cog in the Cherries’ midfield making 21 appearances so far.
Seemingly happy with his lot at the Vitality Stadium, it’s now been suggested that the 25-year-old could be open to a more formal arrangement.
“We would love that to happen,” Howe said of a potential deal to sign Wilshere.
“I can’t rate Jack enough as a footballer and as a person and how he’s come into the team and what he’s delivered for us.
He added: “There’s been no discussion with Arsenal. As I see it Jack is on loan for the season, then we’ll look at it and Jack will look at it.
“I think Jack views this as his home at the moment until the end of the season. His heart has been here since the day he walked in the door, there have been no problems there, but it’s his right to review his options at the end of the season and to see where he goes next.
“We’ve improved a lot of the aspects of our game because of him. It’s always down to the team but he’s fitted into the team very well.
“He is producing more match defining moments for me, the pass for Josh King at Everton was sublime, and I think there are more moments like that to come.”
Yesterday Arsene Wenger reaffirmed that he too is treating Wilshere’s current situation as a temporary arrangement.
“No, no [discussions have taken place about a permanent move].
“Yes [I expect him to return to the Emirates]. We have, at the moment, had no move from Bournemouth for Jack Wilshere.”
Sorry, we’re going to need him back next season as Ramsey’s replacement. Thanks.
Desperately need Wilshere back next season. Been fantastic for Bournemouth, and I think he’d slot back nicely into a deep-lying role. We need another player who can build from deep and break the lines, like Cazorla has done so excellently when he’s not been injured. Santi’s getting on now and Jack seems the ideal replacement to me.
Do wonder what it says about our medical setup though, that someone as injury prone as Jack has been able to go to Bournemouth and play an intensive load of football injury-free, while Ramsey and a few others continue to get injured.
He’s been decent for Bournemouth but Harry Arter kinds of shows him up so that says something about Jack I reckon.
Wilshere has 2 assists in 27 appearances for a team that scores a lot…hardly killing it. I’ve watched most of their games this year and he’s been ok.
If they throw 20-30 million at us for him, should we not take it? Or do people view Jack as Santi’s replacement?
I can’t see Wenger selling anyway unless Jack doesn’t want to stay.
wilshere is more like a controlling midfielder than an outright playmaker. so he may not get a lot of assists. but he has lot of pre-assists and he’s intrumental in how bournemouth keep play very well.
its the difference between a santi playing in centre midfield and ozil playing as no 10. santi controlls the midfield ozil provides the assists. santi having less assists than ozil does not mean he is inferior. in every way wilshere is perfect replacement for ageing santi.
30 million. We can get another Xhaka… Oh, wait!
I find that this season there’s been less of those niggly muscle injuries the CLub used to have. Per we knew had a serious knee. Welbz too. Santi is a big miss but his injury was always a strange one. Only Ramsey really has been suffering with those 3 week injuries.
Come on Gunners,we fantasized alot about Jack,Ramsey have given us a good season and we won FA Cup because of him. What has Jack did for us except one game against Barca? Men kill them selves for not having a lady but forget that they have someone already… COYG
I love Jack. I really do, and I know that Jack himself hasn’t come out and said anything yet, but if he is genuinely thinking about leaving Arsenal for Bournemouth, then he isn’t what we’re looking for. If you can’t get motivated to come back and fight for your place in one of the biggest clubs in world football, then sorry, I hope he enjoys getting up for the relegation battle each season. I also think it’s slightly disrespectful that Eddie Howe would even highlight that point in an interview on TV. Of course you’d want to sign Wilshere, you’re… Read more »
As Ramsey’s back up. Ramsey is our only real goal threat from midfield. Look what he does in Wales every game.Also over the recent years no other midfield comes close to his numbers although he misses many games
I swore that I would never forget the season Ramsey saved for us. Without him we would have finished 10th in the league. He has it in the locker but hasn’t re-opened the locker ever since.
That unreal season Ramsey had back in 2015 I think is the reason why he has been so poor since then. He’s constantly chasing the dragon, trying to recoup that sort of form and its causing him to play so so poorly on a consistent basis. Every touch he does now is some flamboyant attempted flick, or he constantly holds on to the ball for too long when he’s in possession looking for that Hollywood pass, instead of just playing with his instincts and getting the simple and obvious pass away. He now constantly loses the ball in sensitive areas… Read more »
i think he really came close this season . his comibnation with xhaka was proving to be a good midfield pair until xhakas moment of madness. he might not have scored a lot during those period but he was really involved in all the good things arsenal did and sometimes got into really good shooting positions.
What would it take for him to come back do you think, a guaranteed starting position? I’m not sure he’d get that agreed at any top flight club. Maybe he’s content with a club of the level of Bournemouth and a starting place, not taking anything away from them, they’re a superb club but are definitely NOT Arsenal.
I’d imagine Jack just wants a fair crack at earning a starting position, rather than having one guaranteed. He’s clearly good enough, but his problem has been staying healthy long enough to put together a run of games, develop some rhythm, and justify his place in the team. He left to get that at Bournemouth and hopefully it will have given him a stronger base to build on.
The midfield is certainly an area of concern come the summer. As much as we all recognize the class and the importance that Santi has been to our side, and his age and after two serious injuries, he can no longer be considered a player who can play regularly or who we can rely on. Sort of like Rosicky was in the last few seasons. As well as that, with regards to Coquelin, and to a lesser extent Ramsey, while I don’t think they are average players, I do feel a club with ambitions to win the league should be… Read more »
Can’t disagree with much of that.
@Don our midfield problems arose from lack of stability rather than lack of quality. Ergo buying for the sake of buying would do more harm than good. Granit has missed 7 games due to suspension, Elneny due to Afcon, Aaron and Santi due to unfortunate injuries. This season Arsene fixed Arsenal’s striker problems by shifting Alexis upfront. And I’m sure we have enough quality in the squad to fix our midfield issues without buying anyone. We do need a new RB though.
the Ox?
How did this team run out of midfielders? There were way too many at the start of the season. This one is on Wenger, he knows Cazorla and Ramsey are very injury prone. We know what Wilshere can do, let’s give Jeff and Ainsley MN a chance and see if they are good enough for the first team.
NO Thank you!
Would be a real shame to lose someone who loves the club, is clearly very talented and would play his heart out every match. We need more players like him, and Welbz, on the pitch.
Same as me saying I’d love a Lamborghini.
Jack is going to come back to the club and fill the vacated deep lying playmaker slot in our midfield as we gradually phase out Cazorla. It would be insane to sell Jack and then have to pay through the roof to sign a homegrown, English, ball-playing midfielder of his class, experience and potential.
No brained.
this is not going to be a popular view but actually it’s hard to care.
If he stays ok if he goes ok. Best to him in the future.
It is an open question as to whether he has the quality to play for us after so long out. He’s been good, but not so much that if he wasn’t related to Arsenal and I saw him I’d think, let’s get this player.
Well put, that’s a good perspective to have but on the other hand there’s a part of me that wonders if he can still reach a higher level that we haven’t seen yet, given he’s still relatively young and perhaps just maybe might put together a couple of healthy seasons finally. I’d really hate it if that happened somewhere else than Arsenal.
Can’t say I’ve watched many Bournemouth games this season but i bet he doesn’t get the same treatment in games as he does when in an Arsenal shirt i.e getting crunched anytime he has the ball at his feet. Still a bit disappointed he fucked off tbf, total lack of fight from a player we all thought would be captain one day.
Jack should come back to his team, we sometimes have so many injuries, and he is a quality player, I do not think would like to stay there.
Awww thanks for the kind, heart-warming words. Ok, Mr. Howe, you may go now…and close the door on the way out, thankyou 🙂
(turns back to face Jack)
“Ok, Jackie, Jackie boy, now where were we? Ah yes, I needed to inform you, we are currently doing a paint job on the East side of the building, so stay clear of the walls.”
only thing i can think of is Wilshire & Xhaka together is a match made in heaven
John Moss and Mike Dean agree.
Ha! Just having fun with it.. Love ’em both.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bushes….Jack stays with us, cheaper and logical.
I’d love to sign Messi too, not going to happen though is it.
I think after the Soton game we saw the future of our team in regards to the formation. We need to play 433. That means the end of Ozil in my opinion but I do truly believe we will be able to survive without him. Use the money to buy a true wing forward (Griezmann/Reus). We have Xhaka as the deep lying playmaker then pick two from Wilshere, Ox, Ramsey, Iwobi, Elneny, and The Jeff. If anything, I would buy sell Coquelin too and buy a bigger enforcer as backup for Xhaka for tougher games.
Özil’s replacement. Or put Ramsey there and Jack deeper. Either way, Özil out for me.
Wow this is like a candy store! Creative stuff.
Fucking hell! He’s 25 already?
This guy couldn’t survive three months in an Arsenal shirt without injury…..and now he’s gone 21 appearances without a hitch?……
Is something wrong with our training regimes?….
Whenever we needed our players most that’s when injuries take them away….
Missed Carzola too badly….
I wouldn’t be sad if Jack and Ramsey both leave in the summer. They’ve both had years of chances and have both come up very average. Jack likes it at Bournemouth because he’s with his mate Benik Afobe and is with his new girlfriend and away from his ex-partner and the kids. Ramsey is a galactico in his own mind and looks forward to a move like his mate Gareth Bale. I’d be happy to see them both go and buy one really good player and promote one youth player to replace them. We’ve been stagnating waiting for these two… Read more »
The “Elephant in the room” for me is:
Why has Jack been injury free since leaving us??
Always rated him highest of our midfield prospects since Cesc, and still do really.
I hope he can stay injury free and grab Santis position, next to Granit.
With that said, I hope Santi stays with us till hes 120 years old.
He thinks Tottenham is such shit that he’s willing to get fined for proclaiming it. Lock his ass down to a long term deal now!
The title of this article could also be “Celtic boss: we want to sign Messi.” Of course teams want to sign good players. That said, Wilshere has hardly been setting the world alight with his performances at bournemouth this season, so that, coupled with his attitude in the first place (not wanting to stay and fight for his place in the team), might be an indicator. For one, I’d like to see him succeed at the arsenal, but I think that time is coming to an end due to his apparent lack of willingness to put forth the effort. All… Read more »