ARSENAL are confident they have convinced Jack Wilshere to sign a new deal, according to reports.
Wilshere becomes a free agent next month and his first option was always to extend his stay at the Emirates.
The England international was ready to leave North London if he felt the club were not fully committed to wanting him to stay.
Arsenal’s original offer would have seen him take a pay cut from £110,000-a-week to heavily incentivised £90,000-a-week contract.
Everton and newly-promoted Wolves were keen on the 26-year-old and were prepared to offer lucrative deals for Wilshere to cut ties with the club he joined at the age of nine, claim the Mirror.
But amid interest from other Premier League clubs with Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus also monitoring the situation, a breakthrough in negotiations looks to have been made.
Latest Arsenal news
Speaking ahead of their trip to Leicester City tomorrow night, Arsene Wenger was confident a deal was close.
He said:“It looks positive for the club.
“I am not involved in negotiations, but I’m still in touch with Jack if he wants my advice.
“I am convinced, like I was always, that his future is here.
SICK OF OZ-ILL Arsenal stars fed up with Mesut Ozil’s ‘injuries’ and the prima donna attitude of the club’s highest-paid player
“It was always my wish and I think it will happen, yes.”
Reports say fresh terms were offered to Wilshere and his representatives last week with the club optimistic he will end months of speculation and pen a new deal.
It’s a huge turnaround from last year when Wenger told Wilshere he was free to leave on a permanent basis.
Wilshere revealed “He said: ‘I am going to be honest with you and at the moment we are not going to be offering you a contact.
“‘So if you can get a contract somewhere else, you can go.’”
Wilshere has fought his way back into the Gunners reckoning in the second half of the campaign after recovering from injury on loan at Bournemouth last season.
The midfielder has made 38 appearances this season, the most since he appeared 48 times for club and country in the 2103/14 campaign.
Leave a comment