Bournemouth have completed the signing of Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere on a season long loan deal, the club have confirmed.
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It was only in the dying days of the transfer window that Wilshere, who having had an impressive start to his early career at Arsenal has recently been plagued by injuries and found regular playing time hard to come by, became available for loan.
Roma’s director of sport, Walter Sabatini, is reported to be very keen to bring the England worldwide over, and is ready to offer a one-year loan, with the Giallorossi ready to pay for 80% of Wilshere’s salary.
He has attracted intense interest since awareness of his availability has spread, but Press Association Sport understands he is travelling to Bournemouth to finalise his move after being persuaded he can revive his career there.
The England global, 24, had been considering offers from Crystal Palace and Bournemouth after mutually agreeing with Arsenal that he would benefit from playing regular first-team football.
It seems an odd decision to let Wilshere leave considering Arsenal’s well documented troubles with injuries over the years and the fact that we challenge on all four fronts this season.
Wilshere’s former Arsenal team-mate Benik Afobe has been “pleading” with him to make the move to the south coast, according to the Daily Mirror, while Wilshere has been impressed with manager Eddie Howe’s work in taking the Cherries in to the Premier League.
Once regarded as one of the brightest young hopes in English football, Wilshere, 24, has slipped down the pecking order at Arsenal after two seasons in which he played 17 league games. And I also think it shows a degree of selflessness on Arsene Wenger’s part – he’s such a talented player but he shouldn’t be trapped into not being able to play.
“He can complement our style of play and maybe add that missing piece to the jigsaw”. Wilshere’s loan spell at Bolton did him a world of good, perhaps we’ll get the player we all know and love back next season raring to go.
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“I am obviously delighted that he chose us ahead of a number of other clubs and I think he will do really, really well for the team”, Howe told Sky Sports News HQ.
