Arsenal have accepted the fact that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain wants to leave the club this summer, and surely the versatile star will need replacing.
The former Southampton youth product has allowed his contract to run into its final 12 months, and seems to have made his decision clear that he would not be signing a new deal.
The Ox has started all four of our competitive outings since the start of the new campaign, whilst we have been forced to field a makeshift defence in behind him, and you would have to expect that additions will be brought in to cover any exits.
Sead Kolasinac and Hector Bellerin will have to be considered our first-choice wing-backs from now on, leaving another CB needed to cover his move out wide, while Kieran Gibbs has also departed the club today to join West Bromwich Albion, further enhancing our need for a player to play wing-back also.
Chamberlain is yet to complete his move to Liverpool but was believed to have turned down a move to Chelsea as he seeked an Anfield move instead, and I can’t see terms or a medical being an issue. The deal is reported to be in the region of £40 Million, a similar fee which was mooted for Luis Suarez.
This will be the first piece of business between the two clubs since they fell out over the failed signing of Suarez back in 2013, only for the Reds to supposedly refuse to accept our offer, which was believed to have met the player’s release clause. Terms were supposedly already agreed over the move also, and a bitterness remained between the clubs.
Arsenal will now have 24 hours to try and bring in players to the squad, although Wenger could well opt to bring Mathieu Debuchy back into the playing squad, which would likely be a last resort…
How many players must Arsenal sign on deadline day? Which positions are most crucial tomorrow with Gibbs, the Ox and most likely Alexis also leaving the club?
Pat J