The 26-year-old Newcastle United target has confirmed he will leave Arsenal once his contract expires at the end of June.
With the arrival of new manager Unai Emery, the Gunners have wasted little time in revamping their squad. Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno and Juventus fullback Stephan Lichtsteiner have already joined the North London side, with Sampdoria defensive midfielder Lucas Torreira expected to follow shortly.
Jack Wilshere has felt the brunt of Arsenal’s newfound ambition, as despite initially agreeing to a reduced wage to stay at his boyhood club, talks broke down following a discussion with Emery in which the England international was told his playing time would be “significantly reduced”.
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At only 26 years old, Wilshere has made 197 first-team appearances for the Gunners, including most famously his man of the match performance against Barcelona in the 2011 Champions League. It was these early flashes that garnered the Englishman plaudits from both critics and players alike, with comparisons to English footballing legends Paul Scholes and Paul Gascoigne not out of the ordinary.
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However, constant fitness and injury issues have seriously hampered Wilshere’s career. A loan move to Bournemouth in August 2016 was a chance for him to prove his durability over the course of a season, but after 29 Premier League appearances for the Cherries, he suffered a season-ending injury in April.
More promising though was last season for the Arsenal midfielder, as he played a total of 38 matches and enjoyed strong spells of form leading the club to the Europa League semi-final. Discovering form from earlier in his career, Wilshere, despite a lack of goals, displayed the creative qualities and strong tackling that Gooners have come to love him for.
Similar to Jonjo Shelvey, Wilshere was unlucky to miss out on a call-up to the England squad despite Gareth Southgate’s claims that his form dropped off near the end of the season. It’s far more likely Wilshere was left out because of his physical limitations, as we saw in the 2-1 World Cup win over Tunisia that England want to play a high tempo, pressing style of play that Wilshere would be unable to execute effectively.
A polarising figure within many Premier League circles, it’s understandable if Toon fans have a lot of apprehension over the potential signing of Wilshere, not least due to his injury concerns. Nonetheless, this is a midfielder who has 34 international appearances and at his best, is far superior to any of Newcastle’s current midfield options. With careful management of his fitness, there would be a relatively natural fit for Arsenal’s no.10 in front of the midfield duo of Shelvey and Diame who could do much of the heavy running, and he can also play a deeper role if required.
Of course, Wilshere is no stranger to off the field issues, with taxi driver spats and the occasional cigarette lighting up national headlines. Temperament on the field has also been an issue with 10 yellow cards in his 38 appearances last season, but we’ve seen just how positive of an influence Benitez has been over a similar player in Shelvey who didn’t receive a single card from January onwards last season.
Footballing-wise Wilshere would be a no-brainer for Newcastle. If one thing was evident even during the fantastic run in 2018, it was that the club had a serious lack of depth particularly in attacking midfield and in the forward positions. The trio of Shelvey, Mo Diame, and Ayoze Perez performed excellently to ensure Premier League survival for the Magpies, but with Diame now 31 and Benitez wanting to avoid a similar fight next season, the addition of Wilshere would provide a much-needed buffer to those positions with proven quality and experience at the top level.
Ultimately wages might be the sticking point if Benitez was interested in bring Wilshere to St. James Park, as even though he’s available on a free transfer there have been concerns raised over the club’s wage bill the past two seasons. There’s been rumoured interest from a vast array of Premier League clubs ranging from big spenders West Ham and Everton to newly-promoted Wolves. A. C. Milan have also been linked, and by all accounts, Newcastle will have to compete heavily if they wish to secure his services for next season.
Wilshere certainly has his critics and is a difficult player to trust given his injury history, but as he approaches a vital turning point in his career Newcastle would be wise to offer their pitch. With Benitez in charge and a strong defense behind him, the Magpies could be a winning destination for an accomplished player who wears his heart on his sleeve – a quality that would immediately endear him to the Toon Army.
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With Mikel Merino potentially leaving the club, Newcastle could be in even greater need for depth in central midfield. With rumour season in full effect, this is a player who is genuinely available for Benitez to bring in and could improve the quality of the squad immediately. Alternatively, Turkish international and attacking midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup is reported to be of great interest to Newcastle, but if the club can’t get his signing over the line, there are far worse options to fall back on than Jack Wilshere.