Various reports this morning say that Arsenal will begin talks with Jack Wilshere over a new contract, but that the midfielder is seeking assurances over playing time as part any agreement.
The 25 year old is currently heading towards the final 12 months of his current deal, and the fact that talks are planned – while none have yet taken place with the likes of Kieran Gibbs or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – shows some intent on the part of the club to keep him.
However, Jeremy Wilson in the Telegraph says that Wilshere is concerned about how much time on the pitch he’ll get and will make that a fundamental part of the discussion.
Despite overcoming fitness issues and remaining available for Bournemouth for almost all of his loan spell, the England international has fallen out of favour somewhat with Eddie Howe.
He hasn’t started any of their last four league games, which has coincided with The Cherries longest unbeaten run of the season as they’ve clocked up two wins and two draws to move themselves away from the relegation zone.
The question is whether a player who can’t get into the Bournemouth team can expect to be picked regularly for Arsenal, especially when he seemed reluctant to fight for his place earlier this season.
Nevertheless, Howe insisted that despite this spell on the bench, the loan move has been a positive one overall.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him, as a player and as a person. If you look at Jack’s season overall, there’s massive, massive positives.
“He’s played so many games, a lot of 90 minutes: this is just a little spell where he’s been out of the team but he’s still coming on to great effect. Overall he’s stayed fit: it has to be a huge positive for him, this season.”
Haha, yeah sure.
No player will make that kind of request because it would be extremely stupid.
You get picked depending on how you perform and that is the base of football.
@MatroX 100% right.
I do not think his concern is about being picked for games but being in the manager’s plan. At one point Podolski wasn’t. Same for Campbell even though he was playing well.
If Jack thinks he isn’t in Arsenal’s plans, he’s stupider than we thought. And yes you can be stupid in common sense matters and be a genius at other things. But yeah, this whole article reeks of an agent’s doing.
We could really do with this guy right now as we have no real midfield
0 goals, 2 assists and falling out of favour at a lower mid-table club who excel more at going forward than defending. And you think he’s the answer to our problems?
While I expected a slow start for him there, he just hasn’t progressed. Let’s face it, injuries have ruined Jack’s career. He’ll never realise his full potential.
Let him go.
I agree with with what your saying. But I don’t think we should let him go.
I think another season under belt without any big injuries and we just might get to see the Jack of old!!
I believe it’s more likely we see Old Jack.
As long as we don’t don’t see Old Gregg or his mangina. BRRRRRRRRR.
I suggest you look at other more important and meaningful metrics, such as passing accuracy, chances created, turnover, dribbling, etc. than to just write him off based on pure end-product metrics. Based on that logic, Santi isn’t really important to arsenal, as he has little goals and assists these past few years outside of his first season. Many of which spent as a LW too. Also have you considered that his “falling out of favour” (I blame the blogs for that) is due to them managing his training load, particularly since his return? It’s something that Arsenal and Arsene in… Read more »
Got to stay fit first of all, sunshine. Stay out of the papers too.
We carry too many injury prone players.
Aside from Jack, Walcott, Ramsey and Gibbs.
This is another argument to be made to cull the British stock somewhat and add a bit more robust players into to the current mix.
i think first team is least of his concern if he is playing under wenger . he is wengers one of favourite and plays him whenever he is available , may not be at his preferred position but its better than many others . wenger wouldnt want nothing else than wilshere realizing his future.
I don’t get these kind of demands. He’s not even guaranteed first team football at Bournemouth ffs. Play well enough and you’ll get in the team, simple as that.
In fact he’s not even playing in the first elven at Bournemouth…
Its according to jeremy wilson – so guessing that Jack called him and relayed all his concerns to him. but wait with no quotes directly from the player so im guesing its that SOURCE close to the player angle being pulled here – either ways story smells of doo doo
Sorry Jack, you haven’t shown anything at Bournemouth to make me think you’re the right replacement for santi. You’ll have to fight for place or leave.
I cant decide if this is a hard call or an easy one. I think looking at things objectively I just look at Jack as someone that can get us a pretty decent transfer fee if he was sold. If I look at it more heart than head then of course I want them to give him another chance and for him to deliver on the potential he showed such huge glimpses of in the past. Ultimately though I just have this terrible fear that they give him another contract, get him back into the team and he gets sidelined… Read more »
Perhaps this is why we have a team full of under performers as Wenger has gone with heart over head?
Jack Wilshere is a symbol of Arsenal and all its weaknesses right now…
An unproven, pampered player making crazy demands, always injured, can’t defend, over protected by Wenger….Wilshere is exactly the sort of player we need to get rid of….to start again. Cash in on Ramsey, Gibbs, Ospina, Jenks, Mertasacker, Gabriel, Wallcot and invest properly.
Has Gibbs been pampered? Ospina? Mertesacker? I think your comment is a symbol of the sort of thing we get from tv punditry: overbroad statements based on little knowledge, no actual analysis, and absolutely certain of your opinion.
agree with you but take ospina and mertesacker out of that list and add the ox and you are right. ospina with some good coaching advices would have already erase his concentration laps and as for per, his career speaks for itself. him and kos were a very good partnership. its more the midfield that’s been an issue and for so long that has created this erratic team.
Wilshere has obviously been very well managed from a health point of view by Bournemouth. By all accounts he’s not even over training , to try to maintain his fitness. If that’s the case it’s obviously working. If he’s going to start demanding playing time etc, well he’s not that clever, going on his previous injury problems. I personally feel he should be sold. We’ve had too many serious injury problems with players over the years, whether through mismanagement or just frailties. Our player profile needs changing. Bigger , stronger, mobile players in that position. Get a decent fee for… Read more »
Has hardly been pulling up any trees this season. I’m happy he gets another contract but we can’t possibly guarantee any playing time given his performances and fitness record.
The referenced article reads like pure supposition rather than any inside knowledge of what Jack or his agent might be requesting.
endlessly speculating over speculation. this is news these days
Really don’t understand the apparent lack of interest shown by the club in the Ox. If there has been one player who has been asked to up his game this season, to fight for his place, & has actually delivered on this, then surely it’s the Ox. Yet he seemingly still struggles to get favour from the manager.
Also don’t get why the likes of Perez have been sidelined time & time again. Again, he has been a player, when selected, that has given his all & delivered.
Completely baffled all round…
It is pretty bizarre. Even if the plan is to move him on in the summer, the ruthless thing to do would be to extend his contract to ensure we get maximum value for him (compared to the 10-15 million we’d get with one year left on his contract).
That said, I disagree that he’s out of favour. He’s one of the guys that’s always in the squad or even first eleven when fit, regardless of his form.
I think it’s only fair to know your role within any organisation, however assurances work both ways, if you can stay fit, if you can play well, you will play. If not then the reverse applies. Bit of a story out of nothing.
Anyone else think Football should be a base salary then pay to play?
I for one would like to see him come back to us. I only wish he’d be more open to a more bit-part role in the squad. Whilst his stats seem underwhelming this season it’s of course still a huge positive both for him and his development that he’s managed to stay fit for the most part, and in any case from having watched Bournemouth games this year I’d say he’s played pretty well. For me it’s not just a case of the depth he could add to the squad but also the role he could play in the dressing… Read more »
Feels like a confused article this one. I don’t think you can say he’s “out of favour” with a manager who says he “can’t speak highly enough of him”. Also he’s not started in the matches in the good run but has featured. I think it’s more managing an injury prone player than pointing at a dip in form.
Oh cool how about we get assurances that he won’t miss 75% of his next contract? Whatever happened to earning your place in the first team?
There’s certainly space in our squad for Jack, and possibly in the starting 11, but no player should be seeking assurances over playing time at Arsenal. I’d sell anyone who think as much to a Chinese side who can assure such requests.
People speak of Jack’s injury-proneness as if the club itself weren’t culpable in making him so.
It’s probably time to let him go, unfortunately. Just hard to rely on him being fit.
Honestly one of my biggest wants for the club and players has been for Jack to get the dread behind him and come to form. But if there is even any truth to this rumor and the club were to consider guaranteeing playing time, where would that be? If Ozil stays and recovers form, you can’t start him over Ozil. If Ozil goes, do you give him starts there and play musical chairs with the AM role all season long either to manage fitness or cover injury absences? If so, who is his ‘backup’ that could be effective enough? Iwobi?… Read more »
Sheesh. Moderated. And I didn’t even swear in this one!
He’s currently sitting on the bench for the majority of games at Bournemouth. I like Jack and I don’t like the Telegraph so I’m going to go ahead and ignore this.
Get the ball, twist turn, run into someone fall over…
Going forward, with Xhaka and Ozil (if he stays) in the team, only one of Wilshere and Ramsey should be kept at Arsenal. They are two players who despite having different styles are effectively going to be competing for the same position. My preference would be to keep Wilshere and sell Ramsey because (a) Jack’s strengths are better suited to the way Arsenal play (b) its good to have a youth team product around even if in a substitute role and (c) Ramsey can bring in more money right now if sold that can be used in areas that are… Read more »
If you’re not injured Jack haha! how can you assure a start if your foot keeps coming off? ?
Nah. We need an upgrade in midfield. Coquelin is OK as a DM with the right partner. Granit has been excellent for us. Ramsey to me is better in forward midfield as surrogate to Ozil. Elneny is frankly mediocre. Plays the safe pass, a pair of lungs, works hard but doesn’t deliver anything special. What we need is what jack could have given us in replicating Santi’s ability to pick through the middle with ball at feet. BUT Jack is less reliable in terms of fitness now. I think we need to reinforce with someone like a Fabinho at Monaco… Read more »