Arsenal are ready to tear up the final three years of midfielder’s current contract and hand him a five-season package worth £100,000 a week
Arsenal will head off Manchester City’s interest in Jack Wilshere by offering him a new five-year, double-your-money contract.
Deposed champions City are desperate to bolster their quota of home-grown players at the Etihad and Wilshere is on their shopping list, along with Raheem Sterling of Liverpool and Aston Villa’s Fabian Delph.
But the Gunners are determined to hang on to their 23-year-old midfielder, who has emerged as a key man for club and country.
After two years disrupted by injury, Wilshere proved he was back to his best a week ago with two stunning goals in England’s 3-2 win over Slovenia in a European Championship qualifier.
It maintained England’s unblemished record in the bid to reach the finals in France next summer – and alerted City that Jack is back to his lethal best.
If the Blues fail to land Sterling, Wilshere is the next target.
But Arsenal is alert to the danger of losing their man and is ready to open talks about a new deal in the close-season.
Wilshere still has three years of his current deal to run, but Arsenal are ready to take his wages into the £100,000-a-week bracket to ensure he stays at the Emirates.
And Wilshere will start next season with a pledge to curb his behaviour after he had a face-to-face talk with manager Arsene Wenger.
Wilshere was filmed making anti-Tottenham remarks during Arsenal’s FA Cup victory parade and was fined £40,000 by the Football Association.
