Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is reportedly a summer transfer target for Chelsea if reports are to be believed.
Coming into the last year of his contract, Chamberlain is thought to be open to a move away from the Emirates, and Sky Sports claim that Chelsea will open negotiations with Arsenal next week.
With that in mind, we look at why the England international would be a good signing for Chelsea.
Versatility
The phrase ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ springs to mind a little bit, but that may not be a bad thing. Throughout his career, Oxlade-Chamberlain has always made it clear that he wanted to play in a central, slightly deeper role at Arsenal.
It’s never quite worked out for him there, but what that has made him is versatile. He can feature in attacking wide positions and deeper central roles that allow him to dictate play if needed. In the FA Cup final against Chelsea, he even put in a great performance as a makeshift wing-back for the Gunners.
With Chelsea heading back into the Champions League this season, the emphasis on it being a squad game has never been greater. Having a player like Oxlade-Chamberlain ticks all the boxes for Antonio Conte, who will need to rotate his squad this season.
Homegrown
It’s no secret that Chelsea need to sign some more homegrown players. Through the sales of Asmir Begovic, Nathan Ake and John Terry’s move to Aston Villa, the club have lost several home grown players off their quota this summer.
As well as this, the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nathaniel Chalobah, who bolstered the squad last season, left for Crystal Palace and Watford respectively.
The return of Andreas Christensen and Charly Musonda, who both count as homegrown have boosted Chelsea’s numbers, but they’re still short.
AGE
There have always been question marks over Oxlade-Chamberlain’s maturity as a player, but if Chelsea can pull off a deal this summer, the Premier League champions will be signing the player at a brilliant time in his career.
The Arsenal midfielder is due to turn 24 in August, which could see him enter his prime at Stamford Bridge, meaning Chelsea could see the best out of him should he make the move.
Despite being just 23 years of age currently, Chamberlain boasts plenty of experience. He made his Premier League debut back in 2011 and senior England debut a year later in 2012.
Value for money
Oxlade-Chamberlain is out of contract at the Emirates this summer and this puts Chelsea in the driving seat in negotiations.
No price tag has been reported, but Arsenal will still be able to command a respectable fee for the player, but it’s bound to be a cut-price deal. Chelsea will be aware that Arsenal will not want to miss out on the money available and risk losing him for nothing next summer.
At the age of 24, Chelsea would also be signing a player that still has potential sell-on value in the future.
