Jack Wilshere wants to stay at Arsenal despite reports linking him with a free move away this summer.

The midfielder, as you know, is out of contract and the club have not yet offered him a new one. That is not surprising. He has been plagued with injuries for years and the club no doubt want to make sure that he can reliably stay fit before they offer him more money.

Speaking to the Guardian, Jack said,  “Do I see myself staying? Of course I do.

“I have always been at Arsenal, I love this club.

“They have been good to me over the years, I have a great relationship with the boss. He has played me since I was 17. He has put his trust in me since then. We have a great understanding and of course I want to stay.”

Wilshere was one of the standout performers for Arsenal in Belarus on Thursday night and many seemed surprise at his sharpness and keen eye. There is a weird twisted narrative around his loan at Bournemouth last season with many believing that it was a failure. But we tracked his progress throughout the whole season on a game-by-game basis and he was significantly more impressive than most have been led to believe.

Sure, he didn’t rack up the assists or goals, but that wasn’t really his fault. What’s he to do if his Bournemouth teammates couldn’t quite keep up with him?

With Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez looking like they will depart the club next season, a fit and firing Jack Wilshere with a new deal in hand will be something of a boost ahead of what could be a painful summer. It would also help plug the massive hole the departure of those two will leave.