Arsenal legend Ray Parlour believes Jack Wilshere should following the route taken by compatriot Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of the campaign. The England international has just four months left on his existing deal at the Emirates Stadium, and Parlours feels the 26-year-old should pursue fresh pastures elsewhere.

In a report covered by The Star, Parlour suggested that Wilshere may have to consider his Gunners future, if he is to progress further in his playing career. He continued to take the example of Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has earned plenty of plaudits since leaving the Gunners for a move to Liverpool earlier in the summer.

He said: “The big question is, is Jack playing around players who are on his level at Arsenal? “I’m not knocking Granit Xhaka or people like that, but now Oxlade-Chamberlain is playing in that Liverpool team he’s probably thinking, ‘I’m playing with top class players here’.I know you could say Mesut Ozil might be in the bracket, but (Alexis) Sanchez has obviously left now and with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, we’ll have to wait and see if he’s good enough to play week-in week-out and he puts the performances in. I just think questions will be asked if Oxlade-Chamberlain improves that much and maybe pushes himself into the England squad under Jurgen Klopp. I totally understand that now.”

Wilshere started the season as a regular on the substitutes’ bench whilst he earned most of his opportunities in the Europa League as well as the League Cup. However, as the season has gone on, he has taken advantage of the injury situation to Aaron Ramsey, and he is now regarded as one of the regulars at the heart of the Gunners midfield.

Despite approaching the final months of his contract, the midfielder has continued to express his love for the club and the manager, and there is a sense that he may pen a new long-term contract regardless of what has gone around the club this term. Wilshere was part of the Gunners’ side last weekend which was ruthlessly defeated by Manchester City in the League Cup final.