Upon finally returning to first team action with the Gunners last time out against Hull City, Jack Wilshere once again reminded the English footballing community that he still has a lot to give. His appearance may have only been a brief one at that, but it would have nevertheless likely come as a great relief among Arsenal fans wanting to see the midfielder back out on the pitch.
Wilshere had been nursing a serious ankle injury suffered all the way back in November – and as this particular problem certainly wasn’t the first major set-back the 23-year-old has picked up throughout his career – the signs seemingly didn’t look too promising for the England international whilst he was missing from the first team.
With Arsene Wenger’s side pushing on rather successfully in the centre-midfielder’s absence however, some question marks have nonetheless been raised over what kind of future Jack Wilshere has at the Emirates beyond this current season.
Manchester City will reportedly be in for the Arsenal graduate in the approaching summer months, and with a large-scale squad overhaul supposedly taking place at the Etihad in the run up to next season, perhaps there is more to this seemingly recycled transfer story than initially meets the eye.
In light of such a notion, fans of the Premier League are now asking themselves whether Jack Wilshere should really be considering an Emirates exit this summer, and if Manchester City would ultimately be the right team for him?
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Obviously it’s easy to use phrases such as ‘what if’ and ‘if only’ in the current roller-coaster ride that makes up life for the modern day footballer – but if the 23-year-old Arsenal man had managed to steer clear of the serious injuries so far in his brief Premier League career, Arsene Wenger would likely be paying witness to a much more complete and reliable player today.
Wilshere simply hasn’t been able to develop his game a great deal because of the constant afflictions he has picked up whilst playing at the top level. The Englishman has hardly improved much since he first broke into the Arsenal starting XI all those seasons ago, and the ‘in-and-out’ nature of his Gunners career has subsequently seen the likes of Aaron Ramsey and co. transform into top draw players in his absence.
Although the no. 10 hasn’t been able to share the same destiny as some of his Arsenal teammates have enjoyed throughout the years however, the midfielder still has to go down as a player with real talent.
When Jack Wilshere has managed to tie down a run in the first team at the Emirates, he has often displayed sheer class when drifting through the midfield on the ball, some truly impressive intelligence and vision when finding his teammates across the pitch, and a touch of real tenacity in the final third and in front of goal.
Even with that in mind though, a high profile summer move to Manchester City just wouldn’t seem a suitable decision on the player’s part. Manuel Pellegrini’s side are notorious for failing to give their so-called stars the chance of guaranteed first team action, and as that is exactly what the Arsenal man currently needs at this stage in his career, a switch to the Etihad would seemingly be best avoided.
It’s true that the Sky Blues are in somewhat need of freshening up their ageing squad in the run up to the 2015/16 campaign, and yes, Jack Wilshere would be an ideal starting point for Pellegrini as long as he could stay fit – yet because there seems to be a slight lack of direction going on at Manchester City at the moment – Arsenal will simply offer the 23-year-old a better chance to develop as a player.
Arsene Wenger has known what Wilshere is all about since he was a teenager. The Emirates faithful will likely give the midfielder the time and patience he needs to start consistently doing the business for their team – and as the England international is reportedly ‘Arsenal through and through’ – any move away from his boyhood club would most probably fail to live up to his current situation.
Unless the once promising no. 10 can finally find some fitness in the not too distant future however, maybe the Gunners will be forced to move on without Jack Wilshere sooner rather than later – regardless of how well received he has previously been among the Arsenal fans.
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