Wilshere officially completes move to Bournemouth.
Bournemouth have officially announced the signing of out-of-favour Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere on a season-long loan deal.
Arsenal listed Wilshere for loan in the fag end of the summer transfer window, and reports claim that Bournemouth have won the race against more than 20 clubs to secure his signatures.
Wilshere was heavily linked with a loan move to several clubs, with the likes of Crystal Palace, Roma and AC Milan, but Bournemouth outplayed all completion to finally convince the England playmaker.
The confirmation came in, right before the end of the transfer window, with the club handing him the red and black shirt.
BREAKING: #afcb complete loan signing of @JackWilshere from @Arsenal. Full info: https://t.co/xTW69RueCl pic.twitter.com/gZ9usCevme
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) August 31, 2016
Chief Executive Neill Blake said: “Jack is a fantastic addition to the club. He is a player that needs no introduction and one that, quite rightly, our supporters will be excited to see in a Bournemouth shirt.”
“He will bring a wealth of international and Premier League experience, so we are delighted to be able to welcome a player of his calibre to the club.”
Wilshere has not been a regular figure in the Gunners first team and the club wanted him to find more regular action and regain his top form.
SNAPSHOT: From arrival to signing, @JackWilshere is an #afcb player for the season! pic.twitter.com/XhPrbcLH8W
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) August 31, 2016
The England playmaker spent the entire last season on the sidelines and managed just three appearances due to multiple injuries. To fill in his absence the club roped in Mohamed Elneny and most recently, the Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka.
Arsenal are not short of options in the midfield as Spain playmaker Santi Cazorla has regained full match fitness after recovering from a serious knee injury which kept him out of action for more than 5 months. The rise of Francis Coquelin saw Wilshere gradually go down the pecking order and a serious injury that he pulled up in November 2014, had kept him out for several months.
The 24-year-old midfielder has been hit by a series of injuries, which restricted his growth as a top-notch player during his presence in the Gunners squad. He missed the entire 2011/12 season and managed to pull off more than 25 Premier League appearances only in the 2010/11 – out of all the six season that he has been a part of the Arsenal squad.
New England manager Sam Allardyce has dropped him form the new Three Lions set up.
“If Jack Wilshere was playing every week for Arsenal he would be in the squad but unfortunately he isn’t, said Sam Allardyce.
“It is game time for him and it has been few and far between because he has had too many injuries,” he added.