Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
For a player who is still only 23 years old, with the potential to mature into a very fine player indeed, ‘the Ox’ seems to have around at Arsenal forever. Since joining the club from Southampton in 2011 for around £12-15m, he has become part of the furniture at the Emirates. An integral part of Arsene Wenger’s squad.
But that’s part of the problem. It’s easy to forget how highly the player was rated in his younger days, when some likened his technical skills and bullish barrel-chested physique to that of Wayne Rooney and even Gazza. The strength and confidence of his forays forward and emphatic finishing pointed to huge potential.
Since then his star has waned somewhat. A combination of injuries and inconsistent runs in the team have turned him into more of a functional player, or impact option at best. But there is still a sense that there is far more to him, that he has all the tools to become a very special player given the right environment and proper trust.
Alas it now looks as though the winger/midfielder is likely to play out the coming peak years of his career away from Arsenal, with Chelsea his likely destination. Oxlade-Chamberlain is in the final year of his contract, and has informed Wenger that he won’t be signing a new one. After securing Alvaro Morata, signing the Ox is now Chelsea’s main focus.
It has to be said that the former Saints star has received a fair amount of stick from certain quarters of the Gunners’ support in his six seasons at the club, but judging from their reaction to the news he could be off to Stamford Bridge, many feel he has so much more to offer…
I will be absolutely gutted if the Ox leaves this summer
— JP (@julsyzz) July 21, 2017
I think I might lose my mind if the Ox joins Chelsea because I love the guy. 😢
— Fouad (@FouadAFC) July 21, 2017
Don't you dare start selling Ox to Chelsea ffs
— BaconAFC (@GrantBacon) July 21, 2017
Ever get the feeling Arsenal are being dicked on? One year in 20 out of CL and we're sodding well falling apart. https://t.co/5x1Oe6p2mP
— Olivia Landry (@livlan) July 21, 2017
I'm not quite sure why this is happening. Do we have no authority any more as a club?
— Olivia Landry (@livlan) July 21, 2017
I'd be gutted if The Ox goes to anyone to be fair. He started to look solid during last season. 😔
— Claire (@xClaire14x) July 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/jamiesmith1991/status/888695837185978368
If Arsenal sell Ox, I'll be upset. The fact that Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool are the most interested clubs should say something.
— J.A. aka Kunte’s kid (@TheEyeOfJA) June 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/Fez_AFC/status/888691735244800000
https://twitter.com/leeroy_888/status/888674744693915648
Sign the extension please!
— what would arsene do (@oawgunner) July 21, 2017
