Man City mull over making Jack Wilshere summer swoop

Today’s tabloids claim reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are weighing up a £30m move for Arsenal and England midfielder Jack Wilshere.

The Etihad outfit, who must win by a two-goal margin away in Barcelona if they are to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals later this month, will be struggling to fill their homegrown quota for next season.

As things stand, City are set to lose out of contract midfield pair Frank Lampard, who is joining sister club and MLS franchise New York City, and James Milner, plus loaned out duo Micah Richards and Scott Sinclair this summer.

That would leave Etihad number one Joe Hart as the only British-born senior first-team player on the club’s books. Others, including academy graduates, will count towards the homegrown quota, however.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, meanwhie, has an abundance of midfield options at his disposal, and cannot field everyone when all players are fit. Any Arsenal exit for Wilshere would continue a steady stream of names leaving north London for east Manchester.

Former Emirates teammates Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Bacary Sagna are all at City, and reports also claim they are looking at adding Everton’s Ross Barkley to their squad too.

A new-look midfield of Wilshere and Barkley heralds the future at international level as well. These England options would give greater dynamism to the Etihad engine room than Brazilian pair Fernandinho and Fernando Reges, with the latter struggling to make much impact since signing from Porto.

Continuing rumoured interest in Barkley will only further fuel speculation that Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure is also leaving City this summer, having failed to replicate his sensational scoring form from last term.

Wilshere, 23, previously spent time on loan in the northwest at Bolton Wanderers in 2010. City, 8/1 shots to qualify for the Champions League’s last eight, are also reportedly tracking West Ham United left back Aaron Cresswell and Burnley striker Danny Ings, who have both showed real promise in their maiden Premier League campaigns.