Jack Wilshere is to undergo a medical at AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday
evening after agreeing to join the south coast club on a season-long
loan from Arsenal.
The England midfielder, who has been limited to two substitute
appearances to date this season, had been granted permission to seek
first-team football away from the Emirates stadium by Arsène Wenger
after two injury-ravaged seasons having effectively fallen behind Granit
Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny and Santi Cazorla in central midfield. His
availability had sparked interest from over 20 clubs from England and
abroad, though Wilshere considered the offers from Bournemouth, Crystal
Palace, Roma and Milan at length.
While he was willing to move overseas and spoke with the former
Tottenham Hotspur director of football, Franco Baldini, who is now
working as a transfer consultant for Roma about a move, Arsenal rejected
the proposal put forward by the Italian club. Regardless, it was the
proposals from the two Premier League clubs which the 24-year-old
considered the most appealing after talks with Eddie Howe and Alan
Pardew respectively on Tuesday. Arsenal would not countenance his
departure to a club they consider a direct rival for a top four finish.
Palace had appeared to be in pole position to secure the player, who
has been omitted from Sam Allardyce’s first England squad despite being
in Roy Hodgson’s party for Euro 2016. Yet, with Wilshere having not
completed a full 90 minutes in a Premier League game since September
2014, it is understood the south London club were seeking to pay only a
proportion of the player’s £90,000-a-week wages.
Bournemouth, in contrast, are to meet the player’s entire salary,
making a move to the Vitality stadium more appealing to Arsenal. The
player travelled down to the south coast club on Wednesday afternoon.
Arsenal have sold Serge Gnabry to Werder Bremen, with the Germany
Olympic player suggesting he was moving to the Bundesliga “to get
playing time, to develop further and to help the team”.
Jack Wilshere will sign on loan for Bournemouth, subject to passing a medical. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA
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