Do the Gunners already have a Fabregas replacement?

Although Arsenal fans would love to see Cesc Fabregas spend the rest of his career at the North London club, most Gooners are realistic enough to accept that he will soon be leaving to return to his boyhood team, Barcelona. Although this may appear to be a nightmarish situation that leaves Arsene Wenger deprived of the heartbeat of his team, Arsenal may in reality already have a tailor-made replacement primed and ready for action.

So far this season, young Jack Wilshere has clearly shown that his time on loan at Bolton has enabled him to develop tremendously as a player, with his cheeky back heel against Partizan Belgrade proving at his tender age that he is already capable of staying cool in the hottest of atmospheres, and on the evidence of his performances to date, Wenger will be able to stick to his policy of developing young talent and building the team around such players. The latest Champions League odds suggest they have a real shot at glory this season.

This approach would enable Wenger to put any cash raised through the sale of Fabregas towards the continuing development of youngsters at the club by continuing to improve Arsenal's scouting networks as well as ensuring that their training facilities are still top-notch and state of the art. If this happens they could look like Premier League best bets for some time to come.

Although Wilshere clearly needs more playing time at the top level and against the best players in club football, he is beginning to show that he is no longer just a young talent but instead a top man for his side, and perhaps for his country.

With Wilshire holding an English passport, Arsenal are finally able to show the widespread benefits of their aim to develop home grown talent rather than simply invest in foreign youngsters. However, with Wilshere only one of a number of youngsters currently being brought through at the club, Arsenal will also need to show that this new talent is capable of not just bringing joy to their manager but also to their fans by winning trophies.