Wenger: It is time to talk, Jack

ARSENE WENGER has told Jack Wilshere that now is the time to talk, with just three weeks to go before he can sign a pre-contract agreement with another club.

Wilshere, below, has been told by England manager Gareth Southgate he has to be a regular Premier League footballer if he is to be considered for the World Cup.

But Wilshere is likely to be back on the bench when Arsenal face Southampton tomorrow – despite scoring in the 6-0 demolition of BATE Borisov on Thursday in the Europa League.

Yet after nurturing Wilshere at the club for more than a decade, Wenger wants to discuss the right way forward. “We are in December, so it’s time to talk,” said Wenger. “But conversations have not happened yet.”

Wenger denied Mesut Ozil – in a similar position to Wilshere in that his contract expires next summer – has been given a new, improved offer. The German international is still refusing to sign a contract on the table for in excess of £200,000 a week.

Clearly, Wenger is not one to give in easily – even after defeat by Manchester United last Saturday left them 15 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

“After such disappointment, you have to think about winning the next game,” he said.

“We’re too far from the title at the moment to speak about it. It’s not realistic. But let’s try to win our next game and see if we can come back.”

Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has warned Southampton striker Charlie Austin not to get carried away.

Austin has come in from the cold to score three goals in as many games for the Saints but Pellegrino said: “Hopefully Charlie can continue working with humility.

“Charlie is not a player who has technical limitations. Everybody has limitations as a person. I have limitations as a person.” DAVID MOYES has admitted he would have Eden Hazard man-marked at the London Stadium today – if he had a player capable of doing the job.

The West Ham manager is still looking for his first win after four games in charge and his task could not come any tougher today, with champions Chelsea going into the match on a run of six wins in their past seven league games.

And Belgium superstar Hazard is in spectacular form. Though he ranked a startlingly low 19th in the Ballon d’Or voting behind winner Cristiano Ronaldo this week, he has scored six goals in his past nine games.

Moyes said: “There are occasions when I would consider man-marking.

“Hazard is a player who would definitely come into that category. I’ve done it in the past with other players, like David Silva at Manchester City.

“The problem is I don’t know if I’ve got someone who is the type of player to be a man-marker. You have heard the saying, ‘If he goes to the toilet, follow him’. I don’t know if I’ve got that.

“I had people at Everton who could do it. With Silva I think I might have put Jack Rodwell on him.

“But it needs to be people who are athletic and quick. You say to them, ‘Don’t you think about doing anything else, this is your job because he’s that important’.

“Looking through our squad, I couldn’t identify anyone who could do that. But tactically it would be a good way to stop him.”

Blues head coach Antonio Conte is convinced Hazard has the technical skills to join the elite group of players at the very top of the game, but says the Belgian must also show other characteristics.

“When you see these players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Neymar you see a hunger in every moment,” said Conte.

“Score one goal and they want to score the second, score the second and they want to score the third.

“They are very hungry and for that reason they