According to recent reports, Jack Wilshere has given Arsenal an ultimatum regarding his contract extension. Negotiations have been reported upon for the better part of the season and yet an agreement has not been made.
The player is expected to take a 25% pay-cut from his current £120,000-a-week deal – not ideal for one of the longest-serving players of the club.
The North London side has already handed out massive contracts to Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan over the January window and Wilshere would expect to receive the same amount of generosity. It seems like his injury history is one of Arsenal’s biggest concerns even though the player has proven his fitness over the season.
The 26-year-old has proved himself over the past two seasons by managing to remain fit for the majority of the season, even when away to Bournemouth on a loan spell.
Not a single one of the Arsenal faithful would want to see Wilshere leave the club especially after witnessing his brilliance over the course of the season. Coming back from injury is always met with a tough transitional period and yet Wilshere has taken it upon himself to prove his worth and he has succeeded remarkably.
Other than a few knocks here and Wilshere, it seems like the player’s personal efforts to stay fit is working. He has cemented a first-team spot alongside Granit Xhaka in the central midfield role.
Wilshere made his resurgence in an Arsenal jersey, earlier in the group stages of the Europa League. He took on the captain’s armband and lead a second-string Gunners team to the top of the group and well into the knockout stages.
He has been one of the best players on the pitch even though Arsenal have struggled to put a run of wins under their belt. The quick one-twos and a solid work ethic to cover almost every blade of grass has proved to be the driving factor in a low-morale squad.
Even though Wilshere is loyal to the Gunners, he might have to consider the lucrative deals that other European clubs will be able to provide him. Everton’s high expenditure in recent times will form a colourful picture in the eyes of promising youngsters but it might not be enough to lure away Wilshere without the prospect of European football.
However, without an agreement ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, anything can happen. With Theo Walcott already at Goodison Park and doing remarkably well, maybe Wilshere will be convinced over the prospects of the Toffees squad.
