Jack Wilshere expects to sign a new Arsenal contract as Arsene Wenger claims talks delayed by fixture pile-up

Jack Wilshere says he is ready to sign a new contract when Arsenal put an offer on the table but Arsene Wenger has put back the planned date for talks, despite claiming otherwise.

Wilshere, along with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, is out of contract at the end of the season and will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside England from Monday.

The 25-year-old has consistently reaffirmed his desire to extend his 16-year stay at Arsenal though he has yet to hold talks with the club over an extension. When he does it appears clear he is willing to sign.

“I spoke to the boss and he said he will speak to me so we'll see when he speaks to me, I am sure it will be done,” Wilshere said on Sky Sports.

Wenger first set December 2016 as the date for talks with Wilshere, then on loan at Bournemouth, but has since set this month as the deadline to agree an extension with the midfielder.

Though that will pass without Wilshere putting pen to paper, Wenger insisted that only fixture congestion was delaying talks. It should however be noted that that will not ease until midway through January, when Arsenal have a week off between league games against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.

“The situation is we will sit down with him in the beginning of January - it is planned,” Wenger said.

“There is no delay. I said we would sort out the situation in December, the end of December - I told him we want to meet, to sit down with him and talk about the future. That’s what I did.

“But we play now, we play on Sunday, we play on Wednesday. At the moment the focus has to be on the game. At the beginning of January we will do that.”

​Wilshere has made the most of the opportunity handed to him by Aaron Ramsey’s injury. He has started Arsenal’s last four Premier League games and putting in increasingly assured performances in the heart of midfield.

The best of which came in the 3-2 win at Crystal Palace, where Wilshere, playing deeper even than Granit Xhaka, tied Arsenal together, moving the ball with precision and accuracy and providing a stunning assist for Alexis Sanchez with a 40-yard ball over the top.

Wenger, who has at times tried to dampen speculation around Wilshere, was impressed: “He’s coming back in good competitive shape - I feel that he gives something to the team that is very interesting.

“On top of that he gave a great final ball, that's what you want for him.”