As the summer transfer window heats up, there are big transfer rumours being leaked from a number of different publications. In recent days, there have been rumours of a move for Jack Wilshere to Manchester City, with a fee of around £30 million being offered; a figure Arsenal should not consider.
Let’s discuss why-
Makes Manchester City stronger
The last thing that Arsenal want to do is giving title rivals Manchester City another good player. Players such as Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor have made the move to the blue side of Manchester and this has led to them having the last laugh. This is shown by Nasri and Clichy winning Premier League titles and Adebayor scoring against the Gunners at the Etihad, with the celebration that followed being something Arsenal fans remember all too well.
Yaya Toure, who was disappointing in last season’s campaign by his own standards, may no longer be the answer for Manchester City as he lacks the power and drive that he once possessed when City won the league on the previous two occasions. In addition, the underwhelming signings of Fernandinho and Fernando have shown that City have become predictable when David Silva and Sergio Aguero are missing from their side. This leaves a space in Manchester City’s team for someone like Jack Wilshere to fit in perfectly as a box-to-box midfielder.
The players that I just listed are all ageing in the Citizen’s midfield and don’t possess the energy to press the ball in the midfield effectively. This was shown in big games last season against Manchester United and Liverpool away and while you could blame the tactics of Manuel Pellegrini, the work rate of these players was just not good enough and this would be the first guarantee with Jack Wilshere if he was to join.
Wilshere offers something different in Arsenal’s midfield
Critics within the media often say that Arsenal’s midfield lacks bite and drive. Well, Jack Wilshere offers that. Players like Santi Cazorla who offer unbelievable passing; Aaron Ramsey who offers running off the ball and Francis Coquelin who offers steel in midfield to break up play is all well and good but Wilshere has something completely different to offer to the Arsenal team. His ability to go past and commit players is second to none whilst when he is in and around the box – he can provide moments of class to unlock a sturdy defence. Games at home against Swansea and Chelsea where Arsenal didn’t score, without Wilshere, showed a lack of penetration in the attack and the Gunners being guilty of passing it sideways far too often.
As well as offering drive with the ball, the 23-year-old offers determination and bite to Arsenal’s midfield. His bravery is shown by going into challenges which he has no right to win and whilst this has resulted in him getting frequently injured, it shows his passion for the club by doing anything to make sure that Arsenal gain all three points. His bite and passion for the club has sometimes gone too far but making ‘tactical fouls’ is something that Arsenal have come under scrutiny for not making enough of.
The North London side have allowed goals to be conceded on the counter attack far too many times and Wilshere doesn’t mind picking up the odd booking which allows Arsenal to get back into a defensive shape. These attributes, if Wilshere can stay fit, could be key in the next Premier League campaign.
Homegrown and the fee
There is a huge debate about the demand of English players due to UEFA rulings. Firstly, the UEFA rulings are now forcing clubs to have a certain amount of home grownplayers within their respective squads, which Jack Wilshere would contribute towards. Manchester City are desperate for English players due to those departing the club this summer; Micah Richards, Frank Lampard and James Milner have all already joined different sides.
The fee of £30 million in this current market is cheap for an English player, with the likes of Liverpool commanding a fee of £50m for Raheem Sterling; astronomical amounts of money.
£30 million for Jack Wilshere could be a bargain for Manchester City and a long term investment for Manuel Pellegrini’s side. With a lack of high quality English players available for Arsenal to replace Wilshere in central midfield, selling Jack Wilshere for a relatively small fee would be a criminal offence, especially considering it is to a direct rival.
