Why Wilshere’s role is more important to Arsenal than ever before

ED. NOTE: Please welcome Eldin Mohamed to the Short Fuse!

With Arsene Wenger giving Jack Wilshere advice over his Arsenal career and stating that should he get injured, his days at the club could be over, Wilshere’s role this season could be of unrivaled significance, should the young Englishman fulfill his potential.

“If I’m honest, my fitness levels are probably the best they’ve ever been.” Wilshere said, when talking with Arsenal Player. While this may or may not be an exaggeration on Wilshere’s part, statistics show that he is not the least active outfield player in terms of movement and passes, and this is an impressive feat considering he was out of action a few months ago.

Wilshere is yet to start a Premier League game, but he has impressed in his other outings thus far, specifically in the victory against BATE, and with Ozil still coming back from injury and his future at the club still in the balance, Wilshere could be the replacement Arsenal fans need.

This isn’t just for the sake of filling an empty role. If a world class player leaves, you need another world class player to replace him. While many will argue that Wilshere is yet to reach Ozil’s level, few can argue that he surpasses the gifted German in terms of passion and love for the club.

This replacement would benefit Arsenal greatly, not just because the money it saves in terms of buying a world class midfielder, but also because that money could be invested in a world class winger. That winger will definitely be needed now that Sanchez’s time at the club is virtually guaranteed to come to an end.

Over the past decade, seemingly every time Wenger acquires a great player to try to complete the puzzle, another player in a different position leaves. The one advantage Arsenal have this time around is that they know who’s leaving and when. This means that should Wilshere finally reach his potential, Arsenal will have already fixed one problematic area, and they can focus their energy on landing one elite player, instead of having to chase two.

And here’s a great bonus: Wilshere’s still only 25. If he becomes what we all want him to, he still has a few years left at the absolute top level.