Arsenal Transfer News: 'Audacious' Jack Wilshere, Pedro Bids Top Latest Rumours

Manchester City are set to make an "audacious" £30 million bid for Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, according to Adrian Kajumba of the Mirror.

The Etihad club have a history of luring players from the Gunners—Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Bacary Sagna in recent years—but will "ignore Arsene Wenger's warning" not to bid for Wilshere.

He is both a talented and frustrating player. Wilshere possesses considerable technical ability and is excellent at interweaving moves, but he's rarely delivered on the potential outlined during his teenage years.

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Consistent injury problems are sure to have had an impact, but right now, a £30 million bid should be mightily tempting for Wenger. It won't be—he's unlikely to send yet another Gunners player to the Etihad Stadium—but it's difficult to suggest Wilshere is worth the aforementioned price even when fit and firing.

He has the potential to be a world-beater, no doubt about it, but Wenger's going to struggle fitting him into midfield once he's ready to work again. Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla provide just the right balance for Arsenal right now.

B/R UK's Thom Gibbs considered whether Wilshere's chance to shine has passed:

Pedro Bid Readied

Tony Banks of the Express reports Wenger is considering a £24 million bid for Barcelona's Pedro, a forward who is expected to be in much demand when the transfer window opens. Through no fault of his own, Pedro has become something of a forgotten man at the Camp Nou, which currently houses the stunning attacking three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

Pedro's sharpness on the ball could make him an instant favourite with the Arsenal crowd. He likes to get possession out of his feet and burst beyond the opposition to create space for a cross or drive into the box.

Although his arrival would likely push Theo Walcott further down the pecking order, playing Pedro, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil behind Olivier Giroud looks extremely appealing on paper. The Spaniard has scored five and provided five assists in 30 La Liga appearances (13 starts) this season, as recorded by WhoScored.com.

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Wenger will be desperate to mount a serious title challenge next year. Although Arsenal have the opportunity to retain their FA Cup during May's final against Aston Villa, this trophy is unlikely to be enough for supporters who are still waiting for their first Premier League crown since the days of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry.

The manager has added major quality over the last two summers, Sanchez and Ozil included, but he needs to continue spending well before next season. As much as Gunners fans see Wilshere as one of their own, his sale could fund major improvements elsewhere. This should be tempting, especially considering Wilshere's persistent ailments.