AC Milan reportedly still a potential destination for former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere

During a press conference last month, when discussing potential targets for next year and what the club could do to improve upon this past season’s disappointing place in the table, AC Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso mentioned that he was interested in signing an “important” midfielder for the club. So have Milan found their man?

Reports indicate that Milan is still interested in signing former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, despite claims over the weekend that the England midfielder is set to sign for Turkish giants Fenerbache.

Talks with representatives of Wilshere are allegedly still going on, and while the prospects of playing in a team that finished in the Europa League spots in Italy may not appeal to everyone, the name AC Milan could still help to attract some players to the club.

Wilshire is a free agent after not having his contract renewed by Arsenal, an unthinkable outcome when Wilshire signed his contract. However, Wilshere has not had a very productive past few years. He has been plagued by injury problems throughout his career, appearing in only 20 Premier League matches last season for Arsenal.

In fact, he’s only appeared in more than 30 league appearances once in his career, and that was in 2010-11. He only made three Premier League appearances in the 2015-16 season after only managing 14 appearances the season before. He spent the 2016-17 season on loan at AFC Bournemouth and it was slightly surprising to not see him leave the club during the last two transfer windows.

However, with the departure of Arsene Wegner from Arsenal, it was clear that Wilshere did not have a future at Arsenal. And while he isn’t quick enough to play at the pace of the Premier League anymore thanks to injury, he can still pick out a pass and play as a deep-lying playmaker. With the pace of play slower in Serie A, not to mention a formation that would allow Wilshere to play deeper without having to track back on defense, he could still be a decent signing for a Milan team that needs some creativity from midfield.

Grabbing yet another player on a free transfer would make sense for Milan as well, as the despite the bluster from Massimiliano Mirabelli and Marco Fassone before the end of the season about high-flying transfers, the only players that have been signed have been on free transfers.

The price, free, is right and while his wage demands might be more than the other players that Milan have signed, Wilshere could provide a boost to Milan and revive his career in Serie A. Of course, the injuries that have turned a once-promising career into the subject of “what-if” articles could crop up again and leave Milan short handed. Still, Wilshere is somehow only 26 years-old and could be hungry after being left out of the England squad at this year’s World Cup. It could be a risk worth taking.

Would signing Wilshere be a good idea? Or is his history with injuries make a signing too risky? Let us know in the comments!