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Football

18th Jul 2017

Arsenal fans left stunned by Italian club’s derisory transfer offer for Jack Wilshere

"What are they smoking over there?"

Robert Redmond

Jack Wilshere

Jack Wilshere could be on the move this summer.

The midfielder is back at Arsenal after last season’s loan spell with Bournemouth.

Wilshere joined Eddie Howe’s side to get first-team football and prove he’s capable of playing regularly in the Premier League after a few injury-hit seasons.

However, it didn’t exactly go to plan.

Wilshere made 27 appearances, but lost his starting place in the second half of the season. The 25-year-old’s last appearance for Bournemouth was during a 4-0 loss at White Hart Lane to Tottenham Hotspur.

Wilshere went off injured and Spurs fans, unsurprisingly, didn’t show him any sympathy.

Wilshere has a year left on his contract at the Emirates, and with no talk of a new deal, he could be on the move. Yet, there doesn’t appear to be many interested parties, apart from Sampdoria and a possible loan move to Crystal Palace.

However, the Italian club have reportedly offered just £6m, and a further £1.5m in add-ons, for the player who was compared to Paul Scholes and Paul Gascoigne when he made his Arsenal debut aged just 16.

Arsenal fans laughed off the offer, which seems derisory compared to some of the transfer fees that have been paid this summer.

However, according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol‏, Arsenal will accept a bid of £9m for Wilshere.

For what it’s worth, Arsene Wenger has said he expects the midfielder to fight for a place at Arsenal when he recovers from the fractured leg he suffered in April.

“I think Jack will be with Arsenal next season, yes,” Wenger said.

“I will give you a very focused answer on that. He has to work hard to come back and fight for a place in the team. But once he is ready, when he comes back, he will not be far from practising with the team.”