Arsenal links to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have thankfully ended with the former Gunner set to sign for Celtic, after his name was unexpectedly raised as a possible short term option for a return to nor...
Arsenal links to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have thankfully ended with the former Gunner set to sign for Celtic, after his name was unexpectedly raised as a possible short term option for a return to north London thanks to Martin O’Neill’s comments.
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The 32-year-old free agent is on the verge of joining the Scottish champions after holding talks with Martin O’Neill, with a medical booked and a short term deal agreed.
O’Neill confirmed the move and revealed that Oxlade-Chamberlain had other possibilities, including discussion around a potential return to Arsenal amid injury concerns.
He said, “I spoke to him this morning. I think he wants to come and I think he’s coming. I would have assumed he’s had a number of options. I think there was even talk that Arsenal might take him on because they might pick up a couple of injuries.
“So I’m delighted that he’s going to come. I think he’s doing a medical and all being well, I’m hoping that he signs on.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain, a former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder, has not played a competitive match since leaving Besiktas in May but has been training with Arsenal to maintain fitness, a factor O’Neill believes reflects positively on the player.
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He said, “He’s been training, if everything is to be believed, with Arsenal. Well, at this minute Arsenal are one of the strongest teams in Europe.
“So if he’s training with high-quality players, it can only be a benefit to him. If they even thought about taking him on as a back-up, probably not playing for them at any stage because they’ve got so many good players, it says a lot about him.”
The former England international will not be included in Celtic’s Europa League squad after missing the registration deadline, something O’Neill acknowledged could be a disappointment for the player. He said, “I think there might be a bit of a disappointment there from Alex’s viewpoint, wanting to show what he can do in the European stage.”
Despite concerns around his fitness following a prolonged period without competitive football and a history of knee problems, O’Neill backed the midfielder’s quality and motivation ahead of the move.
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He said, “I think that the people who have said that are absolutely entitled to that opinion. From a distance, I might have thought about that myself. But he’s here until the end of the season so he can quickly get up to speed with games.
“He’s got a bit of quality. It’s whether he has the fitness and the desire. I think the desire should be there. It’s a matter of how quickly he gets up to speed.”
For Arsenal, any fleeting notion of a return has now passed, with Oxlade-Chamberlain instead set to resume his career in Glasgow after a period of uncertainty, bringing an end to surprise links that briefly connected him once more with the club where his Premier League career began.
Category: General Sports
