Manchester United and Manchester City have been handed a major boost in their chase of Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, who wants to leave Arsenal.
According to a report by ESPN, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has decided to leave Arsenal in the summer as he wants to resurrect his career away from the Emirates Stadium. This has provided the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Everton a major boost in their bid to sign the Englishman.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has had a stop-start career at Arsenal, having moved to the North London club from Southampton as one of the most exciting young prospects in the country. Nearly six years into the move, though, and the 23-year-old has struggled to match the expectations that many placed on him.
While erratic form and injuries have been contributing factors, Oxlade-Chamberlain has also been deployed in several positions in the last few seasons and as a result, he has not managed to carve out a regular place for himself under Arsene Wenger.
Recent weeks, though, seem to tell that the England international could be turning a corner in his Arsenal career. He has been deployed as a central midfielder in the absence of first team regulars and he has turned in energetic and tenacious performances in his new role, managing to impress many.
However, despite recently playing a prominent role in Arsene Wenger’s side, the report states that Oxlade-Chamberlain has become disillusioned with being in and out of the side constantly. He has also been put off by a lack of contract talks, with just 15 months remaining on his current deal with Arsenal.
He is, thus, determined to depart from the Emirates Stadium in the summer to resurrect his stuttering career elsewhere. That is likely to put a spring in the steps of Manchester United and Manchester City, with the two fierce rivals keen to sign the Englishman.
Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has a shortage of options on the wings, with Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial to choose from, apart from Marcus Rashford who has also been deployed as a makeshift winger at times.
Oxlade-Chamberlain can, thus, present himself as a viable target for Mourinho to consider, and his versatility also makes him an option in midfield for the Manchester United boss. Meanwhile, Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola is said to be a fan of the 23-year-old’s talents for some time now.
And the Spanish tactician could well be eyeing Oxlade-Chamberlain as a central midfield reinforcement, with Fernando and Fabian Delph blowing hot and cold, leaving him with just Fernandinho and Yaya Toure as the consistent performers to choose from.
Everton are also reported to be in the mix, while Liverpool are long-time admirers of his talents. With Oxlade-Chamberlain likely to move away from Arsenal in the summer, the Merseyside clubs could spring into action come June as well, and we could well see a bidding war for the England international.
