Arsene Wenger has claimed that Jack Wilshere is nearing his best at present, but his Arsenal contract remains in its final year.
The midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season, and having been linked with the exit door for over a year now, looks more likely to leave then sign a new deal.
Wilshere could return to play a part in the first-team this season after impressing on loan with Bournemouth last term, but whether Wenger would be able to persuade him to stay beyond the current campaign remains unknown.
The French manager claims he isn’t quite back to his best, but he looks likely to feature against Doncaster tonight.
“If you ask me, ‘Is he back to his full, 100 per cent potential?’, I would say no,” said Wenger. “But he’s not far away.
“The rest now can only be gained by competition. That’s why I believe that these kind of games [Europa League and EFL Cup] are very important for Jack at the moment.
“He is focused, he is working hard and he is absolutely determined to get his place back in the team. There is a big fight there, and that’s what we want.
“It’s a dream for all of us to see him fulfil his potential.
“I gave Jack his start at 17 years of age. That means I am convinced — you have to be convinced, to play a boy at 17 years of age, that he is a special player.
“He is a special player, but we are all the same in that you need health to work — I need health to work and a football player needs to be healthy to play.”
Could we persuade Wilshere to stay beyond the current campaign? Will he earn his new contract? Where would a top-form Wilshere fit into our first-team?
Pat J