During the pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday night’s Europa League tie against Molde, Mikel Arteta was questioned about the prospect of Jack Wilshere rejoining Arsenal.
Goal’s Charles Watts made Arteta aware of the midfielder’s ‘dream’ to return on a pay and play basis, asking whether Wilshere could come back and help solves Arsenal’s ‘creative issues’.
The due were teammates in north London for five years, with Arteta expressing that he rates Wilshere ‘really really highly’ as a player, teammate and person.
Wilshere’s career may be on hanging by thread at the age of just 28 as the ace was released by West Ham in September after making little impact during his time with the east London outfit.
Arteta stated that Arsenal have not ‘looked at’ the prospect of re-signing Wilshere at this moment, whilst he added that the former England international has not requested to train with the Gunners.
This came after Watts raised the point that legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger allowed former Gunners to train with the club whilst they were free agents in an effort to keep fit.
Mikel Arteta's response when asked about a potential return to Arsenal for Jack Wilshere… pic.twitter.com/AuqfpmsoMb
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Here’s what Arteta had to say on the prospect of Wilshere re-joining:
“We haven’t analysed that situation and what I can tell you about Jack – I’ve said in the past about what I’ve thought about him as a player, as as teammate and as a person that I rate him really really highly.”
“But, unfortunately at the moment we haven’t looked at that, we are focused on the players we have and trying to do the best we can with them.”
Watts then asked whether the former England international has asked to train with the Gunners:
“Again, we have no request on that, we haven’t been approached, I haven’t been approached in any of that, it’s just a question that you throw in at the moment, I cannot tell you much more than that.”
Considering Wilshere’s lack of action since he moved to the Hammers, a return to Arsenal has to be considered as nothing more than a pipe dream unfortunately.
Wilshere started just six of his 16 Premier League appearances for West Ham, his last good spell of football came during his loan with Bournemouth in the 2016/17 season.
Injuries unfortunately derailed Wilshere’s career and as it stands we may not see the talented midfielder play professionally ever again.