Will Jack Wilshere Be the New Face of the Nike CTR Maestri Series?

Former Gunner Cesc Fabregas's late September switch from Nike to Puma sent shockwaves across the sponsorship landscape, with the move rumored to be around £16 million, The Sun reported.

Fabregas had long been the face of Nike's CTR360 Maestri cleat, and part of a four-pronged marketing campaign by the Oregon-based sportswear giants which saw Cristiano Ronaldo headline the Vapor line, Wayne Rooney the T90 series, and Carlos Tevez—most recently Gerard Pique—fronting the Tiempo boots.

Now with FC Barcelona—interestingly enough another Nike-sponsored team—Fabregas had long been used as one of Nike's headline players for marketing campaigns both in Europe and abroad. The midfielder had seemingly become inextricably linked with the franchise—with his face plastered on posters as far-reaching as NikeTown San Francisco (which has a dreadfully poor selection of football gear, but that's another story).

His move to Puma certainly makes financial sense, but it begs the question: who will now take the reigns of the Maestri marketing campaign?

Current Arsenal star Jack Wilshere has worn the Maestris—which are in their second edition—for awhile now, and looks to be in prime position to take over as Nike's "face" of the Gunners, following in the footsteps of Thierry Henry (before the Reebok switch) and Fabregas.

Wilshere has already been seen gracing numerous promotional activities for Nike both on the official Arsenal website and in print advertisements. Might the next step be a headlining duty for the Maestri?

His youth (19 years old) would obviously raise some flags as to whether a more seasoned, recognizable option might be a better move for Nike, but Wilshere is well on his way to becoming a household name on the European scene.

The red-and-white colorway of the Maestri II cleats that Wilshere sported in early 2011 provided a perfect complement to the iconic Arsenal home kit. For all intents and purposes, that have been a symbolic precursor to the glove-like fit Wilshere would provide for a marketing campaign.

Nike once hedged their bets on another fledgling superstar-in-the-making, way back in 1984, when they designed a signature shoe for a certain NBA rookie guard fresh out of North Carolina.

It'd be safe to say that CEO Phil Knight doesn't regret making Michael Jordan the face of the basketball franchise, right? Maybe Wilshere's the next starlet ready to be groomed for a headline act.