Chelsea Interested in Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Looks like Arsenal's cross-town rivals also want to join the race to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The winger/midfielder has been linked with a move to either Liverpool or Manchester City in the past few weeks, but Sky Sports has reported that Chelsea have joined the mix as well.
The Gunners want Oxlade-Chamberlain to sign a contract extension this summer, but the club has yet to begin contract talks with him. According to the Daily Mail, the English footballer is growing frustrated with the delay.
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Moreover, Oxlade-Chamberlain reportedly wants the club to assure him that he will play regular first-team football before he signs, and he will likely leave if Arsenal can't give him what he wants.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was brimming with potential when he joined Arsenal in 2011 after two seasons with Southampton. However, Arsène Wenger has only been using him as a bit-part player during his six seasons with the club. So perhaps it's for the best if he moves on in order to get more regular game time.
Right now, it doesn't seem like the Gunners are doing their best to hold on to Oxlade-Chamberlain. However, former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour thinks the club definitely wants him to stay.
"They [Arsenal] will definitely try and keep him, I should imagine. It's all about his representatives who'd say 'Is he going to play enough football?'" Parlour told talkSPORT, via Metro.
"Oxlade-Chamberlain is a key player and these days you do need big squads. I'm sure Arsenal will be sitting down with his agent, trying to sign him up. But it's up to Oxlade-Chamberlain, these players want to play. It's going to be interesting but for me, I'd love him to stay," he added.
Anyway, Oxlade-Chamberlain would be a great signing for Chelsea. He is a very versatile attacker who can play as a winger, midfielder and sometimes even wing-back. That sounds like the kind of player Blues manager Antonio Conte wants in his squad.
The question is, can the Blues pry him away from their fierce rivals?
