West Ham United are keen to get injury-prone midfielder Jack Wilshere off their wage bill and have opened talks with the player over parting ways this summer, according to The Times.
The Hammers signed the 28-year-old playmaker on a free transfer back in 2018 after he was released by Arsenal, with high hopes of getting the Stevenage-born star fit and firing.
However, it just hasn’t worked out for Wilshere at West Ham, with the midfielder only making 16 Premier League appearances over the course of two seasons.
With the former England international entering the last 12 months of his contract at the London Stadium, the latest report suggests the Hammers want to cut their losses now and pay some sort of severance package to get the player off the club’s wage bill.
West Ham fans were right to be excited when Wilshere joined, with the creative midfielder an excellent player when available.
But, as in the last few years of his time at Arsenal, the Hammers fans were deprived of seeing him play due to consistent injuries.
The centre of midfield is an area that West Ham need reinforcements, with Declan Rice and Mark Noble mainstays in the heart of the team and without real competition for a starting place.
The loan of Tomas Soucek has helped this situation and the Czech midfielder has since been signed permanently.
Getting Wilshere off the Hammers’ wage bill should free up space for a new signing that can have more of an impact.