Arsenal and Jack Wilshere: The peak of ineptitude

Arsene Wenger has stated that the only thing left to agree with Jack Wilshere is finances. The fact that his contract has taken so long shows the ineptitude of Arsenal and their management of contracts.

Arsenal are notoriously lackadaisical when it comes to their players’ contracts. Arsene Wenger has often said that he prefers players to have shorter contracts as he feels there is an added motivation in their play as they work to earn a new deal. To some extent, it makes sense; in reality, there is little logic to it at all.

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Because while the players may, as Wenger sees it, be more committed to the club thanks to the reward of personal gain, their commitment is fleeting and short-lived. Is it worth sacrificing the security of the future for the motivation of the present?

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Wenger’s contract strategy only works if the club is extremely efficient in signing players to new deals when the time comes. They must be decisive in evaluating the quality of the player and the need for the player, and then they must act swiftly and confidently to secure their signing. The problem for Arsenal is that are anything but efficient. Take the example of Jack Wilshere.

The now 26-year-old returned to North London after a difficult year on loan at Bournemouth. His standing in the squad was questioned, rumours of a departure encircled, and his contract expired after just one year of his return. But in the six months that he has reintroduced himself, Wilshere has re-established himself as one of the most naturally gifted players in the Arsenal squad. And now, after stalling all season, Wenger and the club are wanting to agree to a new deal:

"“We know what we want. We want him to stay, we want him to extend [his contract]. He wants to stay. After that, we have to find a satisfying financial agreement with Jack that is good for him. That’s what we’re trying to do.”"

This isn’t new. Throughout the last few months, both Wenger and Wilshere have said that they want a new contract to be thrashed out. This is something that is good for all the parties involved; it is something that all the parties involved recognise as something that is good for all the parties involved. This is a contract tap-in. And yet, still we wait for any developments.

That is the peak of ineptitude. There is no need for a convincing. There is no need for lavish, unworthy wages. There is no need for tricky, complicated, awkward clauses. There is no need for difficulty. But that is exactly what the Gunners have been able to find.

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Having short contracts is somewhat naive. The sacrificing of security and continuity is very rarely worth it. But if Wenger is to persist with that strategy, then he must do so with the ability to be quick in signing new contracts when he wants to. If the Wilshere case is anything to go by, that is something that Wenger and the club cannot do. It has and it will continue to come back to bite them.