Liverpool are ready to pounce on Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere’s signature if he does not extend his current deal with the Gunners. According to recent reports in the English press, the Reds are eager to sign the English midfielder in the summer if he rejects a new deal to extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium. The north London outfit has offered the 26-year-old a new deal but it entails a cut to his £90,000-a-week wages.
Wilshere is currently negotiating with Gunners chiefs over a new contract, but his poor record with injuries means any new offer will be based on appearances and performance. However, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is ready to equal Wilshere’s current salary if he can secure his services on a free transfer this summer. The Merseyside club has already landed Wilshere’s former Arsenal colleague Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a £35m deal last summer.
It is believed that the German manager is an admirer of Wilshere’s talents, who is in a race against time to get his name in Gareth Southgate’s England national team ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup which kicks off later this year in Russia.
The Reds boss considers the midfielder as an ideal replacement for contract rebel Emre Can who has been touted to make a move to Juventus when his contract at Anfield expires at the end of the season. Can is unlikely to pen a new deal at Liverpool and Klopp admitted: “Sometimes a player just wants to sit out his contract. That’s not cool for the club, but there are moments in which you have to accept it.”
Liverpool legend Phil Thompson believes that the English midfielder would be a great signing for the Merseyside club. In a recent interview, he said, “I would take him at Liverpool — he’s got that much ability.”
“I’ve always been a great lover of him.”
Jurgen Klopp’s side are currently sitting in 3rd place in the Premier League standings after ensuring a comfortable victory away at Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night. They find themselves just above Chelsea, who are in the fourth spot with just goal difference separating the two teams. The addition of Wilshere will definitely bolster Klopp’s midfield options at Liverpool going into the new campaign as they try to bridge the gap between themselves and the Manchester clubs in the coming years. The 26-year-old has made 26 appearances for the Gunners this season, scoring 2 goals and providing 5 assists in all competitions. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Jack Wilshere and whether Liverpool can lure him to move to Merseyside in the near future.
