Arsenal Should Resist Manchester City's Jack Wilshere Bid for 1 More Year

Within the next few weeks, Jack Wilshere is expected to step up his rehabilitation from ankle surgery. If reports are to be believed, it could be the final comeback attempt of his Arsenal career. With the summer transfer window on the horizon, Manchester City are said to be circling over the Gunners’ gifted young midfielder.

George Bellshaw of Metro reports on claims by Duncan Castles in The Sunday Times that City are preparing to launch a £25 million bid for the England man:

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Arsenal look like they’ll be selling another star to Manchester City—with the Premier League champions after Jack Wilshere.

City are preparing a huge bid for the Arsenal product as they look to increase their home-grown contingent to adhere to Champions League regulations, the Sunday Times report.

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On the one hand, it would be tempting for Arsenal to accept an offer of that enormity for a player they have become accustomed to coping without.

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Wilshere has not played since November 22, 2014. He was initially ruled out for three months, but that layoff was prolonged by the decision for him to undergo a second surgery in late February. The early prognosis was that he should only miss a few more days, but a month has passed, and we’re still yet to see him return to action.

Sadly, that has been the story of Wilshere’s Arsenal career to date. A succession of ankle problems threaten to derail a promising career.

There are question marks over his attitude, too. Accusations of smoking have made headlines, while his conduct on the field could certainly improve. At times, Wilshere’s determination to succeed can boil over to needless aggression.

However, it remains too soon for Arsenal to jettison him. He deserves another season to show what he can do.

Arsenal have invested years in Wilshere’s development. The club owes it to its youth system to try to give him the chance to enjoy a season uninterrupted by injury. The idea might seem fanciful now, but it’s easy to forget how frequently someone like Robin van Persie was sidelined in the early part of his career. Only when he was able to put together a consistent run of games did he begin to deliver on his talent.

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Wilshere might be a similar case. Yes, his performances are yet to reach the level anticipated, but without regular football, that’s never likely to happen. 

It’s clear Arsene Wenger retains enormous faith in Wilshere’s ability. He handed him the No. 10 shirt because he sees him as an icon of Arsenal’s future. At the start of this season, he changed the entire shape of his midfield to try to cram him in the starting XI. A manager with that degree of conviction about a player’s potential is not going to sell him at the first opportunity.

Wenger is not ready to give up on Wilshere, and he’s right: The player needs a chance to show he can escape his injury hell and justify his manager’s faith. If he is still in the same position in 12 months, that may be the time to consider a sale.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout the 2014-15 season. Follow him on Twitter here.