Mark Hughes did pretty well to help Southampton out of the hole they dug for themselves mid-way through the previous season. The former Stoke City manager will now look to take the Saints closer to the top half of the table next season and will look to sign some exciting stars this summer.
This has seen the club linked with a wide variety of stars in recent weeks but one player exciting many fans is Jack Wilshere.
The Stevenage born midfielder joined Arsenal’s academy from Luton Town back in 2001 and broke into the first team in 2008 as a teenager. He made an impact on the biggest stage in Europe and was immediately touted to be the next big thing in England.
However, injuries, along with lack of form and opportunities has seen him lose confidence and a place in the first team at Arsenal recently. In the penultimate season under Arsene Wenger, the 26-year old was pushed out on loan to Bournemouth and was expected to be sold last summer. However, he managed to make an impact for the Gunners last season, registering two goals and five assists in 29 starts.
He is out of a contract at the end of the month and needs a promise of regular game time under new manager Unai Emery to pledge his future to the club. In the meantime, he continues to be linked with a number of clubs from all around the country and Southampton have now joined the race.
He is wanted by the likes of West Ham United, Wolves, AC Milan and Sampdoria and will have to take a pay cut, to join St Mary’s. However, Mark Hughes is convinced that he is the man to help the Saints take the next step in the Premier League and coming on a free transfer, his wages are definitely worth a punt on.
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Southampton have exciting options in their midfield in the squad, with Oriol Romeu, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Mario Lemina and Steven Davies, all capable of playing in the two midfield roles. But none of those names offers as much creativity at Wilshere.
The Arsenal man is a street-smart player, who is an upgrade on most of the names in the current squad for Hughes. He will walk into the first team and the experience he has gathered in his career will help him make an instant impact.
However, he might be tempted to continue playing in Europe and Southampton have a serious task in their hand, to lure him to the south coast.
