Transfer D-day drama

SHOCK NO.1: WILSHERE 
SEEKS REBIRTH 
AT BOURNEMOUTH

Jack Wilshere's biggest downfall in his Arsenal career has been the namesake reputation which precedes him - he's a jack of all trades but a master of none.

More notorious for spearheading Tottenham-hating diatribes than he is for the commanding midfield performances which once saw him hold his own against Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, a lot has changed in the five years since he had the world at his feet.

Injuries have been a large contributing factor, but the greatest obstacle to Wilshere's renaissance has always been the player himself.

The one-time prodigy is not simply drinking in the Last Chance Saloon; he has run up a considerable bar tab while there.

At a time when Sam Allardyce bewilderingly afforded free passes to several of England's serial under-performers at Euro 2016, the 24-year-old's absence for the forthcoming World Cup qualifier with Slovakia was among the most notable if unexpected.

In France, he had been a passenger at best - going through the motions in the horror shows that were Slovakia and Iceland

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It was little surprise that he made only a combined 17 appearances for Arsenal in the previous two seasons, completing 90 minutes just once.

Arsene Wenger's decision to hook Wilshere nine times of the 10 that he started is why, six-and-a-half years on from the original loan spell which proved to be the making of his EPL career, he is back on the move again; this time to Bournemouth.

It represents a chance to revive what little hope remains for him at the Emirates Stadium, where his closest competition has not only been increased but also significantly enhanced with this summer's £30-million ($53.6m) arrival of Granit Xhaka.

Despite those limited outings, Arsenal were still considering offering Wilshere a new contract extension.

A sojourn on the English coast will serve as a double-edged shot at redemption and an audition to prove he is worthy of staying beyond the summer of 2018.

Accepting that joining Eddie Howe's side will provide an opportunity to right the wrongs and shattered the perceptions and damned statistics which have followed his career is a progressive step compared to some of the more attractive offers that were on the table.

Broadening his horizons away from the fast-paced life of the Premier League in a spell with Roma would have ultimately proved detrimental.

RISKY

The last two Arsenal exports who went to the Italian capital - Ashley Cole and Wojciech Sczezny - fiddled while their careers burned.

Festering on the Emirates' substitutes bench, watching the likes of Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey taking his place would have had a similarly damaging impact on Wilshere's career which is already smarting from a fair share of self-inflicted singeing.

He continues to resonate with Arsenal fans as one of their own; a boyhood fan who graduated through the club's academy ranks and into the first-team spotlight.

The outcry at Manchester City potentially ripping out their homegrown heartbeat little more than 12 months ago underlined that depth of affection which Wilshere retains.

Beyond that wide-eyed sentiment, however, lies a player unsuccessfully trying to trade off his past billing.

He is no more a future star than some of the admittedly younger company he will keep at Bournemouth, such as former Liverpool prodigy Jordon Ibe.

The charms of Hollywood are hardly an alien concept for the Cherries, having allowed an American film crew to document their rise from the fourth tier of English football.

Should he transform his own underdog story into something other than its current cautionary tale, Wilshere would offer Tinseltown's producers a compelling sequel.