I'm ready for long-term contract: Jack Wilshere

Beleaguered Arsenal have received a significant boost after Jack Wilshere pledged to sign a new five-year contract with the club within "the next couple of weeks".

After a week in which serious questions have been raised over whether Arsene Wenger should continue as Arsenal manager, and over the direction of the club, the 20-year-old England international said he remained fully committed and that negotiations over a new pounds 80,000-a-week deal had progressed smoothly.

"I'm talking to the club and I probably will be committing my future to the club in the next couple of weeks," he said. "The team are going through a bad spell but that's like any team. We can get back to being the force we were."

Wilshere's commitment will be a relief to Arsenal supporters, especially as Theo Walcott appears likely to leave, possibly as soon as in January, after discussions over a new deal broke down. The winger is in the final year of his contract.

Chelsea have emerged as favourites to sign Walcott, who has also been discussed by the Manchester clubs and Liverpool, while Bacary Sagna also appears poised to quit the club next summer after his talks stalled.

Wilshere admitted that eight years without winning a trophy "adds to the pressure" at the club and conceded that Arsenal might suffer from a "mental block" as a result. They suffered a humiliating cup defeat by Bradford City in midweek and have shown indifferent form in the league form ahead of tonight's game at Reading.

Arsenal's second-largest shareholder, Alisher Usmanov, is pushing for change in the club's boardroom. However, both the Moscow-based billionaire and the board remain fully behind Wenger, who has 18 months left on his contract. However, there are hopes at the club that he will spend heavily in the January transfer window.