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Jack Wilshere’s imminent return to action will have Arsenal fans the world over excited to have the midfielder back in action, in what has been one of the most frustrating season’s in the England international’s career with him yet to make a single appearance.
But the 24-year-old is clearly still in his usual ‘Jack the Lad’ good spirits, as a recent video demonstrated in which the Arsenal academy product read out Twitter messages about him.
They ranged from the good to the bad, but while there wasn’t too much included to upset Wilshere, there was one rather disturbing tweet regarding a service station toilet.
Wilshere has not played a minute of competitive football this season after breaking his leg the day before the Community Shield, although he’s set to play for the Under-21s next week in a bid to return to the Arsenal first team and make a late bid to feature in this summer’s Euro 2016 campaign.
Wilshere, like most Premier League footballers, has kept a low profile while focusing on his recovery, but Arsenal supporters will be happy to see the fan favourite smiling once again ahead of an imminent return to the pitch.
Watch the video below…
Show all 14 1 /14Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave INS: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain) Age: 34
Expected fee: Free agent
The Swedish striker is out of contract in the summer and will be the top target for a number of clubs in Europe, North America and China. The PSG talisman, scorer of 141 goals in 168 matches for the French club in four seasons, has aged well and just led the club to their fourth Ligue 1 title in a row - the 12th of his career. Would offer Arsenal a genuinely world class striker for the first time since Thierry Henry left the club.
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) Age: 26
Expected fee: £45m
The German playmaker has seemingly slipped out of favour at Real Madrid, where Zinedine Zidane and president Florentino Perez are said to be plotting a revolution of playing staff. Kroos is another who will wanted by nearly every major club this summer, and there have already been hints that he wants to play for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
2016 Getty Images
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund) Age: 26
Expected fee: £60m
The hottest striker in Europe has an astounding 32 goals in 36 matches for Dortmund this season and plays in a style that would appear perfect for Arsenal. However, the former AC Milan man is wanted by Real Madrid and has previously mentioned that he'd like to play in Spain.
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Victor Wanyama (Southampton) Age: 24
Expected fee: £25m
Arsenal have been linked with the powerful Kenyan for years but never seem to take the plunge. Francis Coquelin was brilliant in the first half of the season, but the Gunners' lack of options in central midfield was brutally exposed when he went down with an injury. Wanyama alongside Coquelin would give the Gunners a powerful midfield platform on which to build.
2016 Getty Images
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Alvaro Morata (Juventus) Age: 23
Expected fee: £40m
The Spanish striker has not found much consistency at Juventus, but has showed, especially in the Champions League this season and last, that he is capable of operating at an elite level. He only has 10 goals this season but the potential to be a truly brilliant lone striker is there for all to see. Has also expressed a desire to play in the Premier League.
2016 Getty Images
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave John Stones (Everton) Age: 21
Expected fee: £40m
The early season hype around the Englishman has fallen out considerably. Stones started the season as one of the division's most assured defenders but an awful winter has seen him lose his place in a defensively suspect Everton side. Some critics see him as all style and little substance. But he is still very young and that comfort on the ball would be ideal in north London.
2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich) Age: 23
Expected fee: £35m
Once hailed as the next big thing, Gotze must be regretting the day he ever left Dortmund for Bayern Munich. The German attacking midfielder has made just eight appearances and one goal in the Bundesliga this season. Liverpool are also linked with the World Cup winner.
2016 Getty Images
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave OUTS: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Age: 22
Position: midfielder
For all his promise, Oxlade-Chamberlain is yet to deliver for Arsenal with any consistency, never playing more than 25 Premier League games in any of his five years at the club. He has just nine Premier League starts this season, in another campaign lost to niggling injuries. Chelsea and a return to boyhood club Southampton have been mentioned.
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Kieran Gibbs Age: 26
Position: left-back
Gibbs is not a good defender, too often caught far up the pitch and out of position. He lost his starting place to Nacho Monreal - a solid if unspectacular player - at the start of the season and has failed to win it back, starting only three Premier League matches this term.
2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Mikel Arteta Age: 33
Position: Defensive midfield
Seemed a year past his sell-by date last summer but the ever-loyal Arsene Wenger inexplicably opted to extend the veteran Spaniard for one more year. Zero Premier League starts tells its own story while his cameo at The Hawthorns will go down as one of the worst by any player this season.
2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Mathieu Flamini Age: 32
Position: midfield
Another player out of contract in the summer, Flamini is clearly not good enough for a title challenging, Champions League club, but has had to play important minutes in massive games. Wenger needs to move on from a player who has served him well but is no longer of any use at this level.
2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Tomas Rosicky Age: 35
Position: Attacking midfield
A case of what might have been for a supremely talented player, Rosicky's 10 years at the club have brought an average of just 25 matches in all competitions - Arsenal typically play 60. Always injured and without a single minute of football this season, the ageing player is just taking up a squad place that could be filled with an able body at this point.
2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Mathieu Debuchy Age: 30
Position: right-back
Another whose injury ruined any chance of a decent career in north London, Debuchy was excellent for the Gunners before that shoulder injury last season kept him out for months. In the few appearances he has made since returning he has shown he's nowhere close to good enough, while Hector Bellerin's rise has been unexpected and welcome. Has to be sold.
2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Seven who could join Arsenal and and seven who could leave Yaya Sanogo Age: 23
Position: striker
Never ever looked good enough for Arsenal. Looked lost at Crystal Palace. Couldn't get into the Ajax team. Couldn't even get into the Ajax B team. How do Arsenal end up with these players?
2015 Getty Images
Wilshere returned to training during the week, and he is expected to make his competitive return in Arsenal’s Under-21s match at the Emirates Stadium next Friday against Newcastle Under-21s.
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