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Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere poised to agree loan deal with FC Twente
FC Twente, the Dutch league leaders, are hopeful that they have agreed a deal to take Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere on loan.
By Jason Burt
Published: 7:00AM GMT 14 Jan 2010
Jack the lad: Dutch league leaders FC Twente are hopeful that they have agreed a deal to take Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere (left) on loan Photo: PA
It will be intriguing to see whether Arsenal and Wilshere – who turned 18 on New Year's Day – accept the offer, but Twente president Joop Munsterman is confident of concluding the temporary move this week.
Indeed Twente, who are coached by former England manager Steve McClaren, have proposed signing Wilshere for 18 months, rather than until the end of the season. However, it would seem unlikely that Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger would want the midfielder, who is only one year into life as a senior professional, to be absent for so long.
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If Twente are successful it would represent something of a coup for McClaren, who appears to have beaten off interest from several Premier League and Championship clubs to sign Wilshere.
Wenger is keen for the player to gain the experience he needs to improve and said earlier this month that he would allow Wilshere to go out on loan once Arsenal's injury list was reduced.
With Cesc Fabregas and Gaël Clichy returning for Sunday's league match away to Bolton Wanderers – although Denilson will be absent with an abdominal muscle problem – and with Nicklas Bendtner also close to full fitness, the situation is rapidly improving.
Wenger had expected Wilshere to be loaned to a Premier League club and revealed that he had held talks with Owen Coyle before he quit Burnley for Bolton. There is, however, a long list of clubs now after Wilshere, who is regarded as the most exciting young talent in British football and has captured the imagination of England manager Fabio Capello.
So highly is Wilshere rated that if he had been playing regularly – and well – this season then it was not beyond the bounds of possibility that Capello would have included him in the squad for the World Cup finals.
Capello has already fast-tracked him into the England Under-21s. However, the Italian also knows he needs time to develop.
Wilshere became Arsenal's youngest-ever league player when he came on as a substitute against Blackburn in September 2008 aged 16 years and 256 days, and he has since played in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup, although he is yet to start in the Premier League.
It may be why Wenger is considering taking Wilshere out of the spotlight and allowing him to play in Dutch football – although this would have to be weighed up against the effect a move abroad, albeit to a country less than an hour away by plane and where everyone speaks English, would have on him.
Nevertheless, Twente play the kind of attractive, technical football that could speed Wilshere's development, especially as they are also involved in challenging for honours rather than fighting a relegation battle. At the halfway mark of the Dutch season, Twente are top of the Eredivisie, two points clear of PSV Eindhoven and nine ahead of Ajax.
McClaren has done an exceptional job, especially having lost key players last summer. It has meant he has, so far, successfully rebuilt his reputation after being sacked by the Football Association after England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
FC Twente, the Dutch league leaders, are hopeful that they have agreed a deal to take Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere on loan.
By Jason Burt
Published: 7:00AM GMT 14 Jan 2010
Jack the lad: Dutch league leaders FC Twente are hopeful that they have agreed a deal to take Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere (left) on loan Photo: PA It will be intriguing to see whether Arsenal and Wilshere – who turned 18 on New Year's Day – accept the offer, but Twente president Joop Munsterman is confident of concluding the temporary move this week.
Indeed Twente, who are coached by former England manager Steve McClaren, have proposed signing Wilshere for 18 months, rather than until the end of the season. However, it would seem unlikely that Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger would want the midfielder, who is only one year into life as a senior professional, to be absent for so long.
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If Twente are successful it would represent something of a coup for McClaren, who appears to have beaten off interest from several Premier League and Championship clubs to sign Wilshere.
Wenger is keen for the player to gain the experience he needs to improve and said earlier this month that he would allow Wilshere to go out on loan once Arsenal's injury list was reduced.
With Cesc Fabregas and Gaël Clichy returning for Sunday's league match away to Bolton Wanderers – although Denilson will be absent with an abdominal muscle problem – and with Nicklas Bendtner also close to full fitness, the situation is rapidly improving.
Wenger had expected Wilshere to be loaned to a Premier League club and revealed that he had held talks with Owen Coyle before he quit Burnley for Bolton. There is, however, a long list of clubs now after Wilshere, who is regarded as the most exciting young talent in British football and has captured the imagination of England manager Fabio Capello.
So highly is Wilshere rated that if he had been playing regularly – and well – this season then it was not beyond the bounds of possibility that Capello would have included him in the squad for the World Cup finals.
Capello has already fast-tracked him into the England Under-21s. However, the Italian also knows he needs time to develop.
Wilshere became Arsenal's youngest-ever league player when he came on as a substitute against Blackburn in September 2008 aged 16 years and 256 days, and he has since played in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup, although he is yet to start in the Premier League.
It may be why Wenger is considering taking Wilshere out of the spotlight and allowing him to play in Dutch football – although this would have to be weighed up against the effect a move abroad, albeit to a country less than an hour away by plane and where everyone speaks English, would have on him.
Nevertheless, Twente play the kind of attractive, technical football that could speed Wilshere's development, especially as they are also involved in challenging for honours rather than fighting a relegation battle. At the halfway mark of the Dutch season, Twente are top of the Eredivisie, two points clear of PSV Eindhoven and nine ahead of Ajax.
McClaren has done an exceptional job, especially having lost key players last summer. It has meant he has, so far, successfully rebuilt his reputation after being sacked by the Football Association after England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
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