Arsenal and Jack Wilshere: Future rests on one person

Jack Wilshere is in the process of deciding his Arsenal future. The decision rests on one person, though, and it’s not him. It’s Unai Emery.

It must be strange for many Arsenal players. The man that they have almost exclusively known as the manager is no more. The oldest player currently in the squad next season, Petr Cech, was 14 when Arsene Wenger was hired. And yet, next season, Wenger will be nowhere to be seen.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here

There will be no player that Wenger’s absence will affect more than Jack Wilshere. The midfielder has frequently spoken of the fatherly influence that Wenger has had on his career, heralding the strength and closeness of the relationship with his only senior manager other than one loan season under Eddie Howe.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

And Wenger’s exit comes at a crucial time for Wilshere: the expiration of the midfielder’s contract at the end of June offers him the perfect opportunity to leave also, if he so wishes.

The problem for Wilshere is that he loves Arsenal. He was immensely proud of the opportunity he got to captain the team this season, he has been at the club since the age of nine, he is as much a fan as he is a player.

And yet, this love could be conquered by the restriction of his playing time. While Wenger has great patience for and loyalty to Wilshere and was far happier to wait for his inordinate potential to finally blossom after a series of hugely debilitating injuries, the new manager, Unai Emery, has no prior relationship with Wilshere.

As such, Emery’s decision of Wilshere’s usage next season will be solely determined by his performances this past season and the forecasting of his level in the future.

It is far from guaranteed that Wilshere will be offered the same opportunities that he was under Wenger, especially with the long-term contracts agreed with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Granit Xhaka, the presumed addition of Lucas Torreira, and Emery’s reported desire to build the team around Aaron Ramsey. There’s not much room left for Wilshere.

This, for me, is why Wilshere’s decision of his own future rests on one man, Emery. If Emery pledges to Wilshere that he will be a key part of his plans next season, that he will be given plenty of opportunities, that he will be entrusted with game time and responsibility, his love for Arsenal will dictate that he stays; if Emery reveals that Wilshere will be a reserve and bit-part player, a long way down the midfield standings, playing in the lesser domestic cup competitions and little more, Wilshere’s head will take over and he will leave.

Next: Arsenal: Top 3 midfield solutions

It is a question of usage. That will determine Wilshere’s staying or going. I hope that he stays, but I fear that this could be the end. Like Wenger, Wilshere will leave the club that he has called home for almost all of his career.