Arsenal Transfer News: Jack Wilshere to Manchester City Rumours Grow

Manchester City's ageing squad has been a hot topic of discussion so far this season, and according to reports, they're looking to sign Arsenal's Jack Wilshere in an attempt to replenish the nexus of their side.

That's according to Duncan Castles of The Sunday Times, who claims the reigning league champions are planning an overhaul of their team this summer and will look to sign players who have had their skills honed by English clubs.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

As noted by Matt Dickinson of The Times, in the aftermath of City's exit to Barcelona in the Champions League, the club are on the cusp of a summer that'll potentially involve seismic change:

Wilshere would be a curious prospect for manager Manuel Pellegrini. As has been the case with the 23-year-old far too often in his professional career, injury problems have conspired to render him unfit for a massive portion of the campaign. Perhaps most worryingly for the player, Arsenal don't seem to have missed him at all during his spell on the sidelines.

The England man picked up his most recent injury in November and has not featured since. Arsenal's form has been pretty immaculate as of late, though, per Football_Tweet:

Indeed, as noted by Phil Duncan of MailOnline, in the 16 games Wilshere has played for Arsenal in the current season, they've won six, drawn five and lost five. While he's surely not solely responsible for that statistic, it will be a worry for the player and something Arsene Wenger will have definitely noted.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

But there's little denying Wilshere is a quality player when at full tilt. As we can see here, courtesy of Sky Sports News HQ, the problem is that he simply isn't fit enough:

All things considered, a pursuit of the Arsenal man would be peculiar from Manchester City. There's a lot he could offer the champions at his best with his in-game intelligence, tenacity in the tackle and ability to surge forward from midfield. But he's proved to be wholly unreliable from a fitness perspective throughout his career. He'd cost a substantial amount, too, you suspect.

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From Wenger's perspective, selling Wilshere seemingly wouldn't have too drastic an effect on the squad. Arsenal are blessed with an array of attacking midfield options who are much more reliable in terms of fitness and contribute much more than the England man in terms of goals and assists.

Here's how the midfielder has fared in comparison to Arsenal's other central midfield options in the Premier League this season:

	Wilshere	Cazorla	Ramsey	Ozil
Apps (Sub)	7 (2)	25 (4)	16 (5)	13 (1)
Goals	1	7	4	3
Assists	1	8	3	5
Key Passes per Game	0.8	1.3	1.7	2.5
Dribbles per Game	2	3.4	0.8	2.4
Shots per Game	1.1	2.3	2.1	1.5
Tackles per Game	0.8	1.7	2.1	0.9

When Wilshere burst onto the scene, he looked like a Gunners captain in the making. But his stock has faded massively since the stunning performances he put in during the early stages of his Arsenal career, including a virtuoso display against Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi in a win over Barcelona in the Champions League.

At this juncture, continuity is a vital concept for the player. He needs to get fit, put together a run of games and work hard to earn his place back in the Arsenal team. A transfer to City could be a chance at a fresh start, but Wilshere is a Gunner through and through; it's difficult to see him giving up on his Arsenal dream at such an early stage of his career.