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Jack Wilshere Confirms He Will Leave Arsenal At The End Of His Contract

Jack Wilshere Confirms He Will Leave Arsenal At The End Of His Contract

The Arsenal midfielder will sure to be of interest to Premier League clubs and will be available on a free transfer.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Jack Wilshere has become the first playing casualty of Unai Emery's regime at Arsenal after the midfielder confirmed on social media that his days at Arsenal were over after 17 years with the club.

For 17 years Jack Wilshere has been on Arsenal's books as a player, from being in their youth ranks to being an important member of the first team, but that will come to an end at the end of the month.

The midfielder has been through a lot of injuries during his time with the Gunners but in the last season he has been fit to play.

His contract is due to expire at the end of June and there had been talks all season about whether he would renew his deal or leave the Emirates.

It looked for a while like he would renew with talks of a new deal and a wage cut. However on Tuesday night the 26 year old took to social media to confirm a meeting with new manager Unai Emery had swayed his decision because of amount of game time being discussed.

In a long Instagram post he said, "I can confirm that I will be leaving Arsenal when my contract empires at the end of June.

"Following a number of extensive conversations with those art the club, and in particular a recent meeting with new manager Unai Emery, I felt that I was ultimately left with little choice but to make the decision that I have due to purely footballing reasons.

"As has widely been reported, I, along with my representative have been in talks with the club for a number of months with a view to signing a new contract to extend my stay at the Emirates.

"My intention throughout these discussions has always been to remain and Arsenal player. I have been on the books at Arsenal for 17 years and have always felt part of the fabric of the club. Such was my desire to stay that I had in fact recently agreed to sign a financially reduced contract in order to commit my future to the club.

"However following my meeting with the new manager I was made aware that although the reduced contract offer remaining, it was made clear to me that my playing time would be significantly reduced should I decide to stay.

"I am sure everyone can understand that at this point in my life and career I need to be playing regular first team football and following my meeting with My Emery I cam away feeling that it would be very difficult to do so at Arsenal.

"Given this, I feel I have no option but to pursue other opportunities in order to progress my career on the pitch.

"I have experienced some incredible times at Arsenal and have met friends that will last a lifetime. I leave with memories that will stay with me forever from my time at the club. From making my debut at such a young age, to playing in the Champions League and of course winning two FA Cups in consecutive seasons, there are just too many highlights to mention.

""There will be the opportunity to talk properly when the time is right but for now I would just like to thank everyone at the club for everything over the past 17 years, in particular Arsene Wenger and his staff, all of my teammates over the years, everyone at the Academy for helping me to fulfil my dream and of course the fans, who I have always shared such a special relationship with.

"I will never be able to truly repay the love, faith and belief that the fans have always shown in me. It's meant so much to me and my family over the years and I hope you are able to celebrate the success you deserve in the coming years. Thank you.

"I would like to place on record my respect for Mr Emery and my appreciation for his honesty and candor, and I wish him, the team and the club all the very best for the future.

"I'm feeling fit, sharp and strong and will be working tirelessly to ensure I am in peak condition ahead of the new season.

"I'll now be taking the time necessary to consider my options before deciding on the next stage of my career."

It'll be really interesting to see what next for the former Bolton Wanderers loanee. He spent a year at Bournemouth on loan two seasons ago when he could have moved to Roma or AC Milan.

It's been an interesting few weeks for him after missing out on the World Cup squad.

What will be next for him?

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Topics: Football News, Jack Wilshere, Premier League, England, Arsenal, Transfer news