Jack Wilshere is planning to hold talks with Arsenal after seeing Mikel Arteta state that the "doors are always open" for a familiar face at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners boss offered that olive branch to his former team-mate last week after seeing the midfielder, who has 34 England caps to his name, fail to find a new club.
Wilshere has been a free agent since reaching the end of his contract at Bournemouth over the summer, with Arsenal happy to let him train with them as he searches for another opportunity.
What did Arteta say?
The Spaniard, who spent five years playing alongside Wilshere, said: "He is someone that I know who I shared the dressing room with, someone who is so loved around the club with every person here and our doors are always open."
What has Wilshere said?
The 29-year-old, who left Arsenal for West Ham in 2018 but has continued to struggle for form and fitness since then, told Sky Sports of Arteta's offer: "I spent the majority of my life in that club, I gave a lot to that club.
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"To hear the manager - who I played with, who I had a good relationship with, I really enjoyed playing with him, sharing the dressing room with him - to hear him come out and say the door is always open is nice."
Pressed on whether he will take up an invitation, Wilshere added: "It can only help me.
"Being around good players, training with world-class players and as well just being in a team environment is something I'm interested in.
"I'm sure that I'll have a conversation with someone at the club over the next couple of days."
What was Wilshere's record at Arsenal?
Having joined the Gunners' academy system at the age of nine, Wilshere progressed through the ranks to make his senior debut in September 2008.
He went on to take in 197 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 14 goals, but Injuries would become an all too familiar theme for an all-action playmaker and his progress stalled as a result.
From being the Gunners' Player of the Year and a PFA Young Player of the Year award winner in 2011, he left as a free agent in the summer of 2018.
A spark could not be rediscovered at West Ham or Bournemouth, leaving Wilshere scratching around for a new club in the present.
He did take in a brief spell training with Como in August, but is back in England as Serie B sides can only sign non-EU players from other Italian clubs.
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