The saga at Arsenal continues to rumble on a take a new twist each and every day, with reports suggesting that manager Arsene Wenger will stay one minute and another suggesting he’ll be off.
The exact same situation can be applied to star duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, with their futures still in the balance with just over a year left on their deals. All the attention being given to the main men has, until recently, taken the focus away from others in the squad who, if the club are not careful, will be lost this summer.
Although a vast overhaul of the side is reportedly in the pipeline this summer it remains vital that a core of players are kept on to help settle whomever is brought in come the start of next season.
One name, specifically, will cause plenty of fans and club officials concern in the coming months, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The former Southampton man, who followed in the footsteps of Theo Walcott in making the move from the south coast to The Emirates in 2011, may have been a peripheral player over the last five or six years, however, his talent is undeniable and at just 23-years-old, he is beginning to make a mark on this side.
Wenger’s reluctance to make the England international a first-team regular has, at times, been supported by the fans, who have been desperate to see more from the midfielder over the years, however, it has also attracted the interest of other Premier League managers who would give him that chance, namely Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss, who has a tendency to look to snap up any young, skillful attacking players out there, has taken an interest in the Gunners man who, when speaking on Goals on Sunday earlier this season, admitted it may be time to asses his place in north London come this summer.
Whilst it is true that The Ox still has a lot to give Arsenal, with just 20 goals in nearly 200 appearances under Wenger, he has begun to thrive in that central midfield role and would quite possible leap at the chance to work under Klopp, having seen the benefits he’s had on the career of former Saints teammate Adam Lallana.
Furthermore, with Arsenal still keen to keep their man past the summer, the powers that in in north London slapped a price tag of £35m on Chamberlain as a deterrent to the Reds. However, it’s not worked and, according to recent reports, Klopp is happy to press on with such a deal.
With that in mind, Wenger and the club as a whole must be kicked into action in order to convince Chamberlain to stay put for what could be his best years.