• Premier League

Wilshere: I'll sign new Arsenal deal in next few weeks

ESPN staff
December 15, 2012
Jack Wilshere is ready to commit his future to Arsenal © PA Photos
Enlarge

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has confirmed his intention to sign a new long-term contract with the club in the next few weeks.

Wilshere, 20, has been involved in talks with the Gunners about a new deal for a number of months - with manager Arsene Wenger expressing his confidence that the gifted midfielder will pledge his future to the north London side.

And Wilshere has now publicly asserted his desire to stay at the Emirates Stadium, despite the club's disappointing recent run of results.

"I am talking to the club and I probably will be committing my future to the club in the next couple of weeks," Wilshere said, according to Sky Sports.

"I know the team are going through a bad stage at the moment but that is like any team."

Wilshere suffered disappointment this week, as Arsenal lost in the Carling Cup quarter-finals against League Two side Bradford City - a defeat that led to renewed speculation about Wenger's future at the club.

But Wilshere cautioned against fans or media overreacting to the penalty defeat at Valley Parade.

"We have to know our season is not over," Wilshere said. "It was the Capital One Cup. It was not one of our main targets. Obviously it is nice to get a trophy and we were all up for it and wanting to get a trophy. But we had a shock exit and it hurts a lot. But it is only December and we are still in every other competition.

"We were all disappointed. It is horrible to lose on penalties. It is not a nice way to go out. But we know we should have won it. Maybe not in normal time but in extra time we had so many chances. We just had to put the ball in the back of the net but it did not happen."

Once he signs a new deal, Wilshere is eager to end the club's current trophy drought, which now extends over seven years.

"It is something we have to change. It has been too long for a club like Arsenal," he noted. "We used to win trophies in the past so there is no reason why we cannot. We have got good players. Maybe there is just a mental block we need to get over.

"When we get our first one, it can all start to happen."

On the objectives for this season, he added: "We can still realistically win everything we are in. I know we are a long way behind in the Premier League but football changes quickly."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close