Arsenal stalling over contracts for English trio

Sarah Winterburn

Arsenal are yet to contact the representatives of Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs about new contracts.

The English trio’s deals expire at the end of next season and yet the Evening Standard claims that discussions have not begun.

Arsenal recently signed up French trio Francis Coquelin, Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny to new deals.

Wilshere is on a season-long loan at Bournemouth and said in October: “I genuinely don’t know if I am going to end up at Arsenal or somewhere else.  If you’d asked me two months ago if I was going to finish my career at Arsenal then I would have said, ‘Yeah, of course’.

“Two months ago I wouldn’t have seen myself being here, but here I am. And I’m enjoying it.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been restricted to eight Premier League starts this season and he said in October: “I’d by lying if I wasn’t going to sit here and say that it has crossed my mind that I need more game time.”

Gibbs has started just two Premier League games this season, though he has been a first-team regular in cup competitions.