Are Roma set to pip Bournemouth to sign Arsenal's Jack Wilshere?
Jack Wilshere could be set for a move to Italy, with Sky Sports reporting that Roma have joined the race for the England international. The 24-year-old is set to leave Arsenal on loan and has purportedly been the subject of loan bids from a number of Premier League clubs. Stories emerging this morning appeared to suggest that Bournemouth and Crystal Palace were leading the race for the midfielder but their attempts to sign him may well have been gazumped by the Serie A giants.
Would a move away from the Premier League be good for him?
Most probably. Wilshere’s technique based game is more suited to the continent and a spell in Serie A could work wonders for his career. Over the years, many players have eulogised about the tactical complexity of the Italian game and how much they have learnt from playing there. It is a league where players coming from the Premier League can sink or swim, but Wilshere need only look at the experience of Paul Pogba to see the benefits that Italian football can have on a player that is willing to learn.
The constant warnings that players will be overlooked by the national team if they are playing abroad is simply nonsense; Serie A is hardly the Qatar Stars League, so it would be foolish of Sam Allardyce to overlook Wilshere, or Joe Hart for that matter, merely because they are not facing the likes of Stoke City and Sunderland every week. In fact, more English players would benefit from going abroad and learning about different footballing cultures rather than spending season after season playing the same sort of football against the same sides.
Does he have a future at the Emirates Stadium?
Arsene Wenger is a manager who is extremely loyal to players, particularly his young English ones. Although this may be the Frenchman’s way of telling Wilshere to shape up or ship out, you get the feeling that he is more than willing to be proved wrong on this one.
Wenger’s thinking will surely be that sending Wilshere out on loan will give him the kick up the backside that he so desperately needs if he is to fulfil his immense potential. The Arsenal boss is regarded as one of the most open-minded managers in the Premier League and is likely to encourage Wilshere to experience life in Italy for both personal and professional reasons. He may have spent a period on loan at Bolton Wanderers a few years ago but Wilshere is yet to really experience life outside of the South East so a spell in the Eternal City could bring him back a more cultured and worldly-wise person.
Make no bones about it, Wilshere has both the ability and time on his side to make it at Arsenal so he definitely shouldn’t see this as the end of the road in terms of his Gunners career.
How likely is this deal?
With Roma reportedly making significant efforts to sign Wilshere it seems as though the Italian club are determined to ensure they get their man. However, 22 clubs were rumoured to be interested in the player, so it is by no means a one-horse race. There could be twists and turns throughout the day, with one potentially stumbling block being how much of the player’s £90,000-a-week salary the Giallorossi are able to afford.
The fact that the league’s playing style suits Wilshere, and a move to the Stadio Olimpico would see him link up with fellow Arsenal loanee Wojciech Szczesny, certainly help, so Roma certainly stand a good chance of landing their man.
Rating: Seems possible
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