Should Newcastle go back in for Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere?

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Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is going to be out of contract this summer, so should Newcastle United reignite their previous interest?

According to a report from The Sun at the start of the month, Jack Wilshere’s long association with Arsenal is in serious danger of coming to an end this summer with the two parties struggling to agree a contract.

Wilshere may have struggled to shake off the image of being injury-prone during his career, but he is staying fit and arguably playing some of his best football of the last few years right now and is often a shining light in an Arsenal side that look woefully out of form at the moment.

Given his form, it seems highly possible that if the 26-year-old cannot agree a deal to stay at the Emirates beyond this season, he will have a queue of clubs ready to offer him a fresh challenge.

In August 2017, The Sun reported that Newcastle were one of the teams interested in the classy midfielder. And if he is available on a free transfer this summer, the Magpies would be making a huge mistake not to revive their interest should they stay up.

Rafa Benitez’s side have looked vulnerable in the middle of the park at times this season despite having plenty of quality in that area of the pitch, and a move for Wilshere would surely be a fantastic way for the club to galvanise all that talent and build on what has been a mixed first season back in the top flight.

It may not be easy to convince the England international to move to St James’ Park, but they should be able to offer something fairly near to the £120,000 a week that The Sun suggests he currently earns at Arsenal given that the Chronicle reports that Jonjo Shelvey is on £80,000 a week.

If Newcastle stay up, they should be looking to show greater ambition in the transfer market to give them a better chance of avoiding a nervy end to the campaign next year. And while Wilshere would not come cheap on the wage front, they will not have a better chance to try and land a player of his quality on a free transfer.

It may be an ambitious move, but if Newcastle stay up and Wilshere does become available, the Magpies should not allow him to head elsewhere without making their own bid first.