Back to Arsenal, back to Bournemouth, somewhere in Europe? Where Jack Wilshere is going to end up, nobody knows.
Bournemouth’s Jack Wilshere
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has been giving his thoughts on Jack Wilshere’s future in comments appearing on Sky Sports, with the Arsenal man potentially having just nine games left on the south coast before a big decision this summer.
Howe has said that Wilshere’s decision to move to Bournemouth on loan was made with an expectation that there would be further evaluation of his future at the end of this season. The Cherries boss is very much a fan of the England midfielder, even if he has used the 25-year-old sparingly in his starting lineup in recent weeks.
“Jack will be the one that decides his future, obviously in conjunction with Arsenal,” Howe is quoted by Sky Sports as saying. “It was very clear at the start of this loan that he was going to make his decision in terms of, I think, the next steps for him in the summer.
“He just wanted to concentrate on his football with us, try and have the best season that he can. He certainly had a good season as far as I am concerned, and it will be interesting to see what happens beyond that point.”
Wilshere hasn’t started for Bournemouth in their last three matches, coming off the bench in the last two. This is despite having featured from the off for most of 2017’s games. A four game losing streak throughout February caused Howe to change his lineup, and the England man has been one of those to may way. Crucially for Bournemouth’s Premier League survival, those changes have helped Howe and his side win successive matches against West Ham and Swansea City.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe applauds fans
Of 26 league matches at the Vitality Stadium, Wilshere has started 19 games, which is a decent return for someone hoping to get regular football under their belt. Crucially for the player, he has managed to avoid significant injuries this season.
However, with just a year left on his Arsenal contract come the summer, the future of a player once considered the future of the club remains ever more up in the air.
Arsenal may be tempted to cash in on Wilshere when they have the chance, rather than lose him for nothing in 14 months time.
But with Howe suggesting it will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds, who is to know whether he could be back in the black and red of the Cherries next season, back in the red and white of Arsenal or in some other colours entirely.
Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere warms up before a game
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