Premier League giants Liverpool have reportedly decided against selling midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
According to the Express, Liverpool have taken a U-turn as far as Alex Oxlade Chamberlain’s future at the club is concerned and are now unwilling to offload him this summer. The former Arsenal star was linked with an exit with the likes of Aston Villa, West Ham United and even Manchester United getting linked.
The Express claims that the departures of Divock Origi to AC Milan and Takumi Minamino to AS Monaco have forced Liverpool to change their stance on Oxlade-Chamberlain. Moreover, the Reds don’t expect a new midfield arrival this summer, and thus Jurgen Klopp is eager to hold on to the £10 million-rated England international.
The 28-year-old joined Liverpool from Arsenal in the 2017 summer window and has since made 133 appearances for the club, scoring 17 and assisting 15 goals. The versatile midfielder has also added the Premier League title and the Champions League trophy to his kitty.
He still has a year remaining on his contract with Liverpool, and the Reds now seem in no hurry to sell him this summer. However, Oxlade-Chamberlain is still ready to listen to offers owing to the lack of game-time over the last couple of seasons.
But unless a lucrative offer arrives, the England international looks set to stay at Anfield for the next season. Liverpool manager Klopp is eager to have a deep squad considering the number of matches the Merseysiders ended up playing last season.
So, as things stand, Oxlade-Chamberlain is likely to remain a Liverpool player beyond this summer. However, with his contract expiring in 2023, the Reds risk losing him for nothing at the end of the upcoming campaign.
Liverpool have already made considerable additions to their squad this summer, with Darwin Nunez’s arrival from Benfica the headline addition. Attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho has arrived from Fulham while highly-rated right-back Calvin Ramsay has moved to Anfield from Aberdeen as well.
Liverpool’s pre-season started with a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Manchester United in Thailand, with Oxlade-Chamberlain getting some minutes in the game. The Reds next face Crystal Palace before playing RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg respectively. The Reds began their season with a Community Shield showdown against Manchester City on July 30.
Football is flexible. Man United 4 Liv 0.
No one envisaged such but it’s football.