Arteta launches staunch defence of Arsenal's transfer policy
Arsenal want Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back at the Emirates Stadium on loan, according to reports. The England international left for Liverpool back in the summer transfer window of 2017. And though he initially sparkled at Anfield, he’s currently struggling to force his way into Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Arsenal signed Oxlade-Chamberlain when he was a teenager at Southampton, hoping he’d be a huge Emirates hit.
But while the England international fared well, he never quite lived up to expectations in north London before joining Liverpool four years ago.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was a regular under Klopp before injury struck in 2018, with the player struggling for action in the time since.
And The Sun say Arsenal are now happy to take the 28-year-old back as they plan for a brighter future under Mikel Arteta, who has survived a problematic start to the campaign.
It’s claimed the Gunners want the midfielder on a six-month loan deal in January.
And they’re open to a permanent acquisition at the end of the campaign, with Arteta having a good relationship with the player.
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The duo were team-mates in north London before the Spaniard retired to work under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City back in 2017.
And Liverpool’s stance is also outlined by the publication.
It’s claimed the Reds are ‘unlikely’ to stand in the way of a player who is now behind the likes of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliot in Klopp’s pecking order.
But it’s stated they’d still want a ‘reasonable fee’ for an asset with 35 England caps to his name.
Oxlade-Chamberlain himself feels he needs a new challenge given his current woes at Anfield.
Arsenal had Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on their books before Liverpool transfer (Image: GETTY)
“I wouldn’t say I wanted to leave Arsenal because I didn’t believe we could win,” he said.
“I just didn’t believe I was going to be able to play where I wanted to play and that was it.
“Me winning the Champions League was obviously a dream come true and a massive bonus but I didn’t feel like ‘Ah, I told you so’ [at Arsenal].”
And he added: “It was a big decision for me to leave a club like Arsenal. It was everything I knew at the top level for seven years.
“When you’ve been at a club like that for seven years…it’s a club where you love being and it’s more than just a football club, it’s a family culture.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta played alongside Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the Emirates (Image: GETTY)
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“When I had to make the decision to leave, it was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make and to be honest there was a part of me that didn’t know if it was the right thing.
“I feel a lot of my best performances for Arsenal came in midfield but I never played consistently in that position.
“The first game of that season I switched with Hector [Bellerin].
"First game I played on the left [wing-back], he played on the right and second game we switched.
“I thought ‘I’ve got to take the risk, I’ve got to take the chance. I don’t want to look back at the end and think I didn’t try.'”