Wenger throws down gauntlet to Wilshere as Sanchez set for return

Wenger admitted that he is “open” to the idea of sending Wilshere out on a temporary deal again before the window closes. Photo by James Chance/Getty Images

Miguel Delaney

Arsene Wenger has challenged Jack Wilshere to prove he deserves a new contract at Arsenal by getting “back to his best” – but also admitted it may not be at the Emirates this season and that a loan is possible as he “cannot guarantee” playing time.

The 25-year-old is yet another Arsenal player in the final year of his current deal, but the manager was not as strident on his future as he has been with Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Alexis Sanchez. With Wilshere having already fallen out of favour and spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, Wenger admitted that he is “open” to the idea of sending him out on a temporary deal again before the window closes. It will be then up to the midfielder to show he still deserves a place at Arsenal.

Asked whether he would offer Wilshere a new contract, Wenger said: “If he gets back to his best and wants to stay, we have to sit down, I think, later in the season.”

It was then put to Wenger whether he was also ruling out a loan deal for Wilshere, but he denied that.

“I’m open, you know, with Jack. We have honest conversations. I’m open to what is the best for him. He is at the stage of his career where he needs to play and I cannot guarantee him today that, and I think I’m quite open on that.”

Wenger did somewhat defend Wilshere from the criticism he received this week for a red card against Manchester City in an under-23 match, for which his ban was yesterday reduced to two games on appeal.

The midfielder had been sent off for angrily reacting to a rash Tyreke Wilson challenge, who was also dismissed, but the manager said he could “understand” a “human reaction” due to the player’s injury history and the fear of being put on the sidelines again.

“At my stage and with my experience in football, I can understand a lot – especially what happened to him.

“Ideally he should not have responded at all but when you have gone through what he has gone through, with bad tackles, it was a human reaction. At the moment he is working very hard to come back after his fracture so overall another setback would be terrible and it was a bad tackle.”

One man definitely on his way back is Sanchez who, Wenger confirmed, is available for Sunday’s trip to Anfield.

“He works very hard, is focused and gives absolutely everything. He loves to play so much that it is sometimes difficult to stop him but he looks absolutely ready,” said Wenger. “He has not played for a long time so I will have to decide what I do with him but he looks ready to play.”

While other high-profile Premier League transfer targets have been left out of their respective sides at the start of the term, ahead of the August 31 deadline, Wenger is unconcerned about Sanchez having his head turned by a move.

“He has always been focused on his job, he loves to play football and I don’t think he is too disturbed by all the noises that happen,” he said.

“Players at that level are used to it now, some deal better with it than others but I don’t think he is too bothered by that.” (© Independent News Service)