Arsenal: Is this it for ailing Jack Wilshere?

Jack Wilshere has been struggling for some time now. He did not look especially sharp when he came on for Arsenal against Southampton on Sunday. Could this be it for the midfielder?

When Jack Wilshere returned to Arsenal last summer after an underwhelming year-long loan at Bournemouth, there weren’t really any expectations for him. In fact, he himself has since revealed that Arsene Wenger told him he could find a new club. That was the thinking regarding his return.

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But Wilshere, committed to his dream of preserving his career with his boyhood club, decided to stay. He completed his rehabilitation from a broken leg, worked his way, slowly, into the first team, and eventually was able to establish himself as one of the key midfielders in Wenger’s thinking, so much so that he is now being rested for the biggest games of the season.

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When he first broke into the team earlier in the year, he was playing with that same youthful exuberance and freedom that endeared him to so many fans from the moment he established himself as one of the brightest young talents at the club. But since the expectation has slowly risen and the responsibility of an increased role has increased, his performances have declined.

The talent is still obviously there. He will have moments of real ingenious, creative, unpredictable play that prove that he still has the natural quality that he always possessed. But the consistency of his play has deteriorated, his turnovers have worsened, and questions are beginning to be asked regarding his utility in the team and his future beyond the expiration of his contract at the end of the season.

His performances in the last two games have been especially poor. He averaged just a 71.5% pass completion rate; he completed just one of four dribble attempts against CSKA Moscow on Thursday night; he was dispossessed a massive four times in the win over Southampton, which is more than any other Arsenal player even though he only played 27 minutes.

Given that a contract offer has been made, there is at least some desire from the club to keep Wilshere beyond this summer. But talks are reportedly at an impasse, perhaps regarding their disagreements on his wages. If his recent displays are anything to go by, Wilshere is not going to win that argument.

And, in fact, these issues have not been present in just the last couple of games. Wilshere has been sub-par for some time, perhaps stretching all the way back to February. There are sure to be natural undulations in form throughout a season. We are all human after all. But this is now getting to an extended period that suggests that the hopes that many had for him may never be met.

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That begs the question: Could this be it for Wilshere? Have the injuries and the absences finally taken their toll? Has he finally reached his level? I would still love him to stay, but that may now be a naive pipe dream. It might be the end of Wilshere in north London.