There had been a lot of speculation throughout the summer, which suggested that Arsenal’s Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain was on his way out of the Emirates Stadium, while he also refused to a sign a new deal with the Gunners.
With the Englishman having just one more season on his contract, Arsenal were forced to sell him when Liverpool came calling, for a significant fee of £40 million.
The 24-year-old rejected moves to other Premier League clubs including defending champions Chelsea, who were leading the race to sign him, as he decided to make his way to Anfield on deadline day to sign for the Reds.
“Firstly, I’m delighted to have signed for Liverpool and a big thank-you to everyone here at the FA that has made this possible, using the facilities. It has been a massive help.” Chamberlain said after his move was finalised whilst he was training with England.
A 17-year-old Chamberlain joined Arsenal back in 2011 from Southampton, for a fee of around £15 million. However, inconsistency and injuries stopped the young Englishman from showing his true potential at the biggest stage. His six-year spell at Arsenal was given the boost when Wenger opted to use him as a wing-back in his 3-4-3 formation, as Chamberlain looked to present his full talent on the pitch.
Thus, Chamberlain’s desire to join Liverpool did not come as much of a shock. He played his last game in the Gunners’ shirt in a 4-0 away defeat to Liverpool, as manager Jurgen Klopp welcomed the 24-year-old’s versatility and talent.
Klopp’s policy of high pressing needed a lot of pacy legs, and with the Reds making a comeback into the Champions League, there was a need of a bigger squad. This was where Ox’s versatility came in, and so the Anfield giants decided to sign him.
However, since Chamberlain joined Liverpool, the Reds have not managed a single win, losing 5-0 to Manchester City, drawing 2-2 to Sevilla in the Champions League group stage and 1-1 to Burnley in the Premier League. In their first game of the Carabao Cup, Liverpool were knocked out by Leicester City in a 0-2 loss, with Chamberlain having a horrible night in his first start as a Reds player.
Chamberlain got success as a wing-back in Arsene Wenger’s team, and it grew a lot of surprise as to why he chose Liverpool. Even though his wish to emulate Steven Gerrard is understandable, Liverpool are packed in midfield. Moreover, the front-line is irreplaceable with the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohammed Salah. Thus, this left Chamberlain with a minimal role in Klopp’s team.
It was expected that Liverpool will be benefited by Chamberlain’s experience, but his struggle for the Reds against Leicester City drew a lot of criticism. The England international was the worst Liverpool player on the field, as he failed to put in a good performance.
The Liverpool squad needs more goals from their midfielders, and Ox’s hit-rate is a major concern, with the 24-year-old not getting more than 2 goals in a single league season in his career. Even though he racked up 7 assists last term, Chamberlain needs to be a lot more productive, if he is to nail down his name in Klopp’s starting XI.
Playing more than 125 games for Arsenal in the Premier League, the former Southampton man was expected to fire from the start, but with his disappointing performances, he looks like a flop for a £40 million fee.
However, it might also be too early to judge Chamberlain based on his first start of the season for the Reds. As time progresses, the England international is hopeful to learn of the mentality of new manager Klopp, as he still has room to develop into a starter at the Anfield.
Thoughts, Reds? Let us know below!
