Arsene Wenger has been urged to build his next Arsenal side around Jack Wilshere by former Gunners defender Martin Keown.

Wilshere is one of a trio of Arsenal stars who has entered the final six months of his contract but, unlike Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, he has expressed his willingness to stay and is expected to put pen to paper on an extension when talks take place later this month.

The 26-year-old has made an exceptional return to the Arsenal side after his years of injury woes, which continued during a season on loan at Bournemouth last year, surprising even Wenger with the speed with which he has adapted to the Premier League.

Indeed Keown believes Wilshere has proven himself to be the equal of Ozil and Sanchez and should be the cornerstone of Wenger’s side next season.

“It feels like the end of an era at Arsenal with everyone looking for the exit door,” Keown told talkSPORT. “Jack Wilshere encompasses the future.

“He’s like a shining light, coming back from a career that looked like it was going to be finished at the top level. He’s as good as these guys. He’s the player Arsene Wenger needs to build around, if he can trust him.

“The other night [against Chelsea], Ozil – it was the first time I realised how good a player he was. He committed everything, he was quick, he was incisive in his play, and he was a different Ozil. He’s been holding back. I don’t want him at Arsenal if he is not going to commit to every match.

“Sanchez now looks like he’s trying to force that move out of the club. I just don’t like the feeling. There is a bad smell at the club and Wenger can never have been in a more difficult situation at the club, managerially. It must test him every day having to work in this situation.

“He’s been trying to get these players to sign for two and a half years. It’s a conversation which has never gone away and, really, what are you going to get for them now?”

Sanchez is expected to leave the club for Manchester City on the expiry of his contract in the summer, though the Citizens could give their Premier League rivals a headache should they opt to bid for the Chilean in January.

Ozil’s future remains in doubt with the German settled in London but as of yet showing little inclination to sign a contract extension worth around £250,000-a-week.