Arsenal are heading into one of the most important transfer windows of their recent past. They could lose up to three players or maybe even more. Former La Liga duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are yet to extend their deals with the club while the likes of Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Jack Wilshere, who are also nearing the ends of their contracts, are constantly linked with an exit.
However, one player who now wants to fight for more first-team chances is English midfielder Jack Wilshere. Speaking to the media recently, Wilshere said, “When I’m at home, maybe you think, ‘What’s going to happen? I’ve only got six months left.’ But once I’m at the training ground, I’m focused, preparing for the next game.”
That was hardly the tone of a player who is looking to extend his stay, which could be a problem for the London club.
The 25-year old is yet to make a Premier League start this season but has played in all six of the Europa League ties to date. He has just a goal and two assists to his name in all competitions but has racked up impressive numbers in the midfield.
With an average passing accuracy of 86%, Wilshere makes 2.3 key passes per game when in the starting XI and is also fouled twice in those games. These numbers are slightly better than Arsenal’s first choice midfielders, but Wilshere has mostly played the smaller clubs in the Europa League while the likes of Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey have done a decent job in the top flight.
Arsene Wenger does not trust Wilshere yet in his first team but will surely want him to stay for a couple of seasons. Wilshere is an exciting backup to have, a solid one, and the amount of experience he has already gathered, only makes him a bigger asset.
However, at 25, it is time for the midfielder to think about his future and is sure to search for a club that can build around him. He is a talented player, who belongs at the highest level and though he has not been able to replicate his form for Arsenal in the last few season, he is still a match-winner and can easily make some of the smaller teams in the competition a lot stronger.
His injury history will be a worry, as it has been for a number of years at the Emirates so it will be interesting to see where he moves but Arsenal should look to keep him if they can, and not give up on his at this stage.
Do you think they have already given him enough chances?
