Arsenal fans do not want to see our players sold to rival clubs in the English Premier League at the best of times, so on the face of it the transfer this week of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool fresh on the back of our 4-0 humbling at Anfield by the same club does not sit well.
However, one of the choices was to keep a player that does not want to play for Arsenal and the way he performed against Liverpool last weekend suggests that would not be a great idea. Another was to sell him to the reigning EPL champions Chelsea and although the Ox rejected that move I think he would have taken it had we not dealt with the scousers.
So as reported by the BBC, Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal board agreed the England international’s move to Anfield and here is why I think we may have actually done well.
For one thing we got a very healthy £40 million transfer fee for a player who would have left for nothing next summer and when you look at his goal record of 20 and just nine in the league from seven seasons and almost 200 games as a Gunner, you could say that we have taken Liverpool for a ride.
Only recently has the Ox started to really look the part at Arsenal and I reckon that could be because of Wenger giving him the new wing back position. But he does not want to play there and that is apparently why he did not want the Chelsea transfer.
So he goes to Liverpool to play in the middle or as a winger, but they already have the likes of Mane, Coutinho, Firmino and Can, so is the Ox really going to strengthen their side. Is he even going to be a regular first team player?
Is this bit of unlooked for transfer business actually good for Arsenal?
Bob.