Jack Wilshere has clarified why he remains a free agent by confessing Mikel Arteta "doesn't want" him to sign a contract with Arsenal.
The midfielder, 30, has been training with the Gunners for a number of months as he searches for a new club following his release by Bournemouth last summer.
Wilshere was teammates with Arteta during his time at the Emirates and he has been hugely complimentary of the Spaniard's coaching methods.
However, the Arsenal boss ruled out the prospect of the former England international formally rejoining the club during the January transfer window.
That is despite the North Londoners severely lacking outfield options ahead of the second half of the season after offloading numerous fringe players while failing to add any new faces last month.
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As a free agent, Wilshere could pen a short-term deal with the Gunners outside of the window to help bolster their options for the run-in.
He even claims he would "love" to re-sign for the club he left in 2018 following 17 years of service, but admits Arteta does not want him to.
"Because the manager doesn't want me to. Well, I don't think he does," Wilshere told talkSPORT when quizzed on why he is not an Arsenal player.
Asked if he could still re-join Arsenal, he responded: "I don't know that. I would love it to be Arsenal. But I am not in control of that."
Wilshere joined Arsenal in 2001 aged nine and made his senior debut seven years later, becoming Arsenal's youngest ever Premier League debutant in the process.
He went on to make 197 appearances for the club across 10 seasons, winning the FA Cup in 2014 and 2015 while also earning a spot in the PFA Team of the Year in the 2010/11 season.
Wilshere joined West Ham on a free transfer in 2018 in search of regular minutes, but the injury issues which plagued his time at the Emirates persisted and he made just 19 appearances for the Irons.
He spent a brief spell in the Championship with Bournemouth last season before his release at the end of his short-term contract.
While Wilshere's chances of returning to the Premier League are growing slimmer with each passing week, he confirmed he has had offers to play outside of England.
"I'm talking to a few different clubs," he added.
Meanwhile, Arsenal return to action on Thursday evening as they travel to Wolves in the Premier League. Arteta's side are not in action over the FA Cup fourth-round weekend as they were knocked out by Nottingham Forest in January.
