Why Chelsea Should Sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain This Summer
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has grown unsettled at Arsenal and could be heading for an exit, with strong interest from fellow London club Chelsea, as per reports from The Mirror.
The 23-year old versatile midfielder will enter the final year of his contract with the Gunners and with the club still unable to tie him down to a new deal, the Premier League champions are keen on capitalising the situation. The report also claims that fellow Premier League clubs Manchester City and Liverpool are also keeping tabs on the “Ox“.
Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Arsenal in the summer of 2011 from Southampton as a hot prospect for the future but has been unable to establish himself as a regular in the first team under manager Arsene Wenger. Last year, the player admitted that he is not getting as much playing time as he would like and may well consider leaving the club. Oxlade-Chamberlain was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail:
“I do want to get more game time. There comes a time in your career where you have to re-evaluate things and think, “Is that going to be here or elsewhere?’”
“I’m at a stage now where I definitely want to be playing and [so I am] pushing [the manager] to play me, getting feedback and if I’m not playing, finding out why I’m not playing.”
The 23-year old England international did have an impressive season for the Gunners last time around as he finished with more than impressive returns of 6 goals and 11 assists from 45 games across all competitions. This was his best season for the North London outfit in terms of goal returns and what stood out was the impression he made with his amazing versatility.
Oxlade-Chamberlain started the season playing out wide on the flanks, then was moved into a central midfield role where he excelled brilliantly, staking a claim for a regular place in the middle of the park. And towards the end of the season, when Wenger opted for a three-man backline, the Frenchman utilised his star youngster in the right wing-back position, where, once again, Oxlade-Chamberlain felt right at home. In fact, his performances in that role were some of his best in the Arsenal colours since he moved to the Emirates a few years back.
This amazing versatile nature is surely one of the major driving factors behind Chelsea’s interest in the England international. The Blues ended up as the Premier League champions in their first season under new boss Antonio Conte. However, the former Juventus manager is keen on bolstering his squad ahead of next campaign, as Chelsea will also have to contend with the prospect of Champions League football next season.
Chelsea are in the market for a central midfielder amid doubts over the future of Nemanja Matic, who is wanted by Manchester United. They also need a new right wing-back in their ranks to challenge Victor Moses for the position. The Nigerian international made the position his own in the previous campaign, to the surprise of many, with some highly exceptional displays. However, he showed that he remains a point of vulnerability with a horrendous performance in the FA Cup final against Arsenal that ended up costing the Blues a shot at completing the domestic double.
Signing Oxlade-Chamberlain will address both these issues for Conte, as the 23-year old will provide the Italian mastermind with options both in the centre of the pitch and on the right-flank. His ability to play higher up the pitch will also make him a more than able backup for the likes of Eden Hazard and Pedro in the attacking trident too.
At 23, the “Ox” is still relatively very young and has gathered a lot of experience in the Premier League already. If last season was anything to go by, he has everything it takes to be a star player in the near future and Chelsea should go all guns blazing to get him signed up ahead of next season.