Liverpool swoop to beat champions to England midfielder
Oxlade-chamberlain turns down Chelsea Late Van Dijk deal could follow £35m signing
Liverpool have taken their summer spending spree to more than £100 million by outmanoeuvring Chelsea and agreeing a deal for Alex Oxlade-chamberlain.
The England midfielder was undergoing a Liverpool medical at the national squad’s training base at St George’s Park last night ahead of a £35million move to Anfield. He rejected the chance to join the Premier League champions.
His move will end a Liverpool chase for his signature which began six years ago, when Oxladechamberlain was at Southampton.
Steven Gerrard, the then Anfield captain, and vice-captain Jamie Carragher met Oxlade-chamberlain and his father Mark at Melwood in 2011 in an effort to convince the 18-year-old to move north. Instead, he chose Arsenal, who he joined for £15 million that summer.
Oxlade-chamberlain is the second major Liverpool signing in two days, albeit midfielder Naby Keita’s £48million switch from RB Leipzig is delayed until next summer.
It is a hugely symbolic deal for the club given they have beaten Chelsea and taken a major player from a top-four rival. Arsenal were initially reluctant to do business with Liverpool but recognised they had no option but to sell or risk losing the player on a free transfer in 12 months when his deal expired.
Oxlade-chamberlain rejected an offer of £180,000 a week at the Emirates. He is due to fly to Malta with the England squad today ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier and will complete the formalities of his move prior to take-off.
Liverpool moved to secure the 24-year-old by matching Chelsea’s £35 million bid, which was accepted on Monday. Oxlade-chamberlain stalled on the move to Stamford Bridge as he waited to see if the Merseyside club would make an approach. It was apparent his preference was to work with Jurgen Klopp and there were suspicions all summer he would end up at Anfield.
At Liverpool he can expect to play in a central-midfield role, his athleticism and pace making him a archetype Klopp player.
It is telling he has opted to move to Liverpool for the benefit of his career despite the huge offer from Arsenal, believing his game will develop under Klopp having stalled under Arsene Wenger and with uncertainty over his role at Chelsea. The champions saw Oxlade-chamberlain as a potential wing-back.
Klopp’s squad now look formidable, with Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Dominic Solanke adding to the strength in depth. The Anfield club, however, hope they haves not concluded their business for the summer. The focus over the final hours is likely to be on Virgil van Dijk. Recruiting a dominant centre-back has also been one of Klopp’s priorities.
The question remains whether Southampton will stand firm on their decision to keep the player rather than cash in on a deal which could be worth at least £70 million. Southampton have not wavered, while Liverpool vowed they would not make an unsolicited move.
Meanwhile, Wolfsburg are the latest to show interest in Liverpool’s Divock Origi. The Belgium striker will be allowed to leave on loan, although Liverpool will demand a £6million loan fee.
Origi has found himself falling down the pecking order at Anfield, not making the squad for the last two fixtures against Hoffenheim and Arsenal. With the arrival of Dominic Solanke, Origi’s opportunities are sure to be limited but there is no shortage of clubs ready to offer him a starting place.