Sign up to FREE email alerts from Mirror - Arsenal FC Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Jack Wilshere is ready to give Arsenal a huge boost after opening talks about a new contract.

MirrorFootball understands that Wilshere and his representatives have had preliminary discussions with Arsenal who are hopeful England's best midfield prospect will commit himself to a new long-term deal.

Wilshere, 20, has two and a half years left on his current £50,000-a-week deal but Arsenal have moved early to try to get him nailed down.

The new deal is likely to make Wilshere one of the club's top earners, is likely to have staggered increases and also be more than five years.

Wilshere has just come back from a career-threatening ankle injury and recently declared his love for Arsenal and long-term commitment to the club.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and the board are clearly eager to seize on that and get one of their prized assets tied down to avoid his deal running down inside two years.

Wilshere is likely to return to the starting line-up at Everton on Wednesday, having sat out the weekend draw at Aston Villa because he had inflammation of scar tissue on his previously injured ankle.

Wenger was reluctant to gamble on him getting another knock, but the England ace is set to play at Goodison - where Thomas Vermaelen is also in line to return to in defence.

Meanwhile, Theo Walcott's negotiations on a £75,000-a-week offer from the Gunners remain stalled.

Walcott is into the final year of his contract, which may lead Arsenal to be tempted to sell him in January.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea are all keen, but Walcott could get a much more lucrative package if he waits and leaves as a free agent next summer.

Arsenal are also having talks with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs, having already secured Carl Jenkinson on a deal until 2018.