Jurgen Klopp has sung the praises of Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, labelling him a new signing for next season.
The England international has been out of action since April 2018 after suffering a Cruciate Ligament rupture, an injury that has kept him out for 315 days, causing him to miss 43 games in the process [Source: Transfermarkt].
Oxlade Chamberlain has come into pre-season at full fitness and has featured against both Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla in the Reds’ pre-season tour of the USA.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Klopp praised the 25-year-old, saying: “I’m so happy with how it looks at the moment, but of course we are going to have to see.”
“But Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain… come on. Fit… if that’s not a new signing, then I don’t know. To buy him, after the impression we got when he played for us, what do we think the price would be to buy that level of player?!?”
The German was in awe of the former Arsenal man, claiming that a player of his capability would cost a lot more in the current transfer window.
OPINION
There is no doubting that Oxlade-Chamberlain can come in and make a massive impact in the heart of Liverpool’s midfield. The 25-year-old is as dynamic as any midfielder in the entire the Premier League, with great physicality coupled with the skill to get forward and chip in with goals at the same time. The England international made 32 appearances in the Premier League the season before last and impressed going forward, having averaged 1.2 shots per game as well as 1.1 key passes. Oxlade-Chamberlain also got on the ball and ran at opposition defences, completing an average of 1.3 dribbles on top of that [Source: WhoScored]. The 25-year-old brings a different style to the Reds’ midfield and Klopp is obviously itching to release the midfield man next season. The box-to-box midfielder could have been the difference between finishing second and first in the Premier League last season, with Liverpool fans surely excited about the prospect of a full season of Oxlade-Chamberlain.
