Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere can fire Man City to tile glory

Posted Sunday, June 21, 2015 by Dailystar.co.uk

Former City and England star Peter Barnes believes the time is right for Wilshere to quit Arsenal after 14 years, to mature into a world-class player at The Etihad.

And that is where Wilshere, 23, would form a dream team within a dream team – one of the few in Britain thinking on the same wavelength as David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure.

It would be a formidable partnership which should give City the winning combination in the title scrap with champions Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United this season.

Barnes said: “I would love to see Wilshere at my old club. He’s the nearest to Paul Gascoigne since Gazza himself starred on the world stage.

''Wilshere isn’t the finished article by any means. He’s got to be more consistent and injury-free but he’s such a creative talent with that wonderful left foot.

''He would be magical alongside Silva, Aguero and Toure. He would fi t in perfectly. It’s a match made in heaven.

"Good players need good players on the same wavelength and they would bring the best out of each other.

''I think it would do Wilshere good to get away from London. I’m sure he would relish a new challenge in Manchester where he could knuckle down, work hard and mature into a high-class player in the blue shirt of City.

''He would be the icing on the cake for City and he could be the difference between the club winning back the title from Chelsea.

''And he’ll be among friends straight away. He will be able to play his football in the same city as his England captain Wayne Rooney over at United.

''And his keeper at international level Joe Hart will keep him on the straight and narrow.”

Wilshere has been dogged by injuries at The Emirates after being groomed for stardom as a boy of just nine when he first joined the Arsenal academy.

And his £40,000 fine for his anti-Tottenham chant during Arsenal’s FA Cup victory parade was the latest in a well-documented catalogue of off-the-field crimes.

But Barnes does not see a problem with Wilshere’s character – and it should not stop a possible £22million switch to The Etihad.

Barnes added: “Listen, he’s a saint compared to some of the bad boys I played with – and against – in my career. Frank Worthington was in trouble all the time.Norman Whiteside and Paul McGrath were characters, to say the least.

''Some top players in my day would go missing for two or three days and no one would hear from them. Wilshere’s still only 23 and he will grow up, no problem.

''Raheem Sterling has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, too but I’d still like him at City alongside Wilshere. He’s got a bit of growing up to do as well.

''I would be greedy believing that City could also get Gareth Bale – now that would be the signing of the new season. But I would be happy to settle for Wilshere and Sterling as a dynamic double act.”

But ex-Arsenal midfi eld ace Ray Parlour believes City boss Manuel Pellegrini has no chance of landing Wilshere.

Parlour, 42, says Wilshere is going nowhere.

He said: “I think he’ll be an Arsenal player next year – he loves the club. It’s a massive season for Jack. He needs to stay injury free, that’s the most important thing.”