Jack Wilshere has admitted that he would be "hurt" if Arsenal sold him this summer.
Wilshere, 23, has struggled to scale the heights expected of him since bursting on to the scene as a 17-year-old in the 2010-11 campaign, with repeated ankle injuries curtailing his progress in recent years.
Reports last month suggested that Manchester City were weighing up a £30m summer move for the fit-again midfielder, who spent four months on the sidelines this term.
The England international, who rose through the Arsenal academy, has struggled to break back into Arsene Wenger's best XI since returning, but he is hopeful that he will be around to try again next season.
"I would be hurt if they sold me," he told the Daily Mail. "I want Arsenal to want me. If they didn't want me, it would hurt. It would be strange playing for another club. I went to Bolton on loan and that was strange. I feel like I'm ready to play now and that's not going to change. I want to play more minutes before the end of the season and then I'll have to wait until next season and see what the boss's plans are for me.
"I want to play first-team football. I want to play in the Premier League, the Champions League and I want to continue playing for England. If I'm going to do that, I have to play for my club and put in good performances for my club because there are other English midfielders who are doing that in the Premier League.
"You can't stop the speculation or do anything about it. I have not spoken to the boss about it at all. He has not mentioned it to me. I've not mentioned anything to him. At the moment, I need to get back in the team. The speculation about my future started when I was injured. You just want to get back out there and get back to what you love doing and concentrate on that."
Wilshere will hope to be involved on Sunday as third-placed Arsenal host West Bromwich Albion in their final game of the season.
Shane Callaghan
