Arsenal Reportedly Keeping Oxlade-Chamberlain

There's not much of interest in terms of Naby Keïta or Virgil van Dijk, but a somewhat diverting Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain update exists to cater for enthusiasts of seemingly pertinent transfer rumours. The latest comes from the Daily Mirror and John Cross that may or may not be of concern to eyes scrolling through this page.

Cross is supposedly connected to Arsenal and writes about the North London outfit a great deal. He also misses the mark sometimes, too. Arsenal, Cross revealed, are relaxed about the 23-year-old’s future at the club. According to the report, Oxlade-Chamberlain will be left to either walk away on a free next summer or agree a new deal at some unspecified point in the future. However, the intention is to keep the England international and convince him to eventually commit his long-term future to the club.

Perhaps Arsène Wenger pushed for this compromise to keep his squad as deep as possible with the player’s ability and flexibility. This does not sound like the Wenger of frugality who would sell instead of letting an asset go on a free transfer, but heading into the second season of the Premier League’s new top six era, it might be worth holding onto a versatile player a little while longer to help regain a top four spot or win the Europa League.

Jürgen Klopp would probably get the best out of a player with the requisite drive, energy, and athleticism to thrive in spite of the somewhat limited minutes he'd see on the pitch if Naby Keïta were to join from RB Leipzig. Still, Liverpool remain “keen” on a player that would really increase the depth of the first-team squad in multiple areas, but that doesn't sound like the move Oxlade-Chamberlain is looking for.

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