Jack Wilshere was offered to Lille during the January transfer window, but the Ligue 1 club ended up signing Hatem Ben Arfa instead.

L’Equipe (via GFFN) report that Jack Wilshere and his representatives are still hard at work searching for a new club, and his agents offered him to Lille on a short-term basis during the January transfer window.

The offer even included a trial period, so Wilshere could prove himself before his potential new club committed to a contract.

Unfortunately for Wilshere, Lille decided to sign Hatem Ben Arfa, which took the possibility off the table.

The problem with a trial period before signing is that if it doesn’t go well, it’s too late for the club to turn to any alternatives. The window would be closed, and it would be a case of signing Wilshere or nothing.

You can see why the safer option for Lille was to bring in a player who is already accustomed to Ligue 1, even if Ben Arfa (like Wilshere) hasn’t been playing any competitive football in recent months.

Ahead of the transfer deadline, Football.London reported that AEK Athens, Serie B side Monza, and several Championship clubs were among the sides interested in a deal for Wilshere.

Nothing went through before the window closed, but Wilshere is a free agent, so he’s still available to join a new club.

For now, Wilshere is with the Arsenal squad on their trip to Dubai.