Arsenal’s versatile ace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is open to the prospect of joining London rivals Chelsea, who are planning a fresh £35m offer for his services.
The England international has entered the last year of his contract at the Emirates, and talks over an extension have stalled with the Gunners reluctant to match his wage demands.
According to The Star, the 23-year-old could make a surprise switch to the Premier League champions with the opportunity to play in next season’s Champions League.
Blues’ boss Antonio Conte is a huge admirer of the Englishman’s talents and Oxlade-Chamberlain would receive his preferred package of £120,000-a-week – a figure which Arsenal are unwilling to pay.
The former Saints graduate has seemingly grown frustrated playing in the wing-back spot since Arsene Wenger’s decision to revert to a 3-4-2-1 formation.
His ambition remains to feature at the centre of the park, and there is the opportunity to capitalise with Chelsea with Conte eager to have a robust midfielder in his ranks.
As per The Star, the Blues have lodged a fresh bid worth £35m for Oxlade-Chamberlain after their initial £25m approach was knocked back without a trace.
Preferably, Arsene Wenger would stick with Oxlade-Chamberlain as he has previously highlighted but the latest offer seems tempting enough for a player, who may not make the starting lineup at regular intervals during the 2017/18 season.
Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac will most likely take up the right wing-back and left wing-back roles for the campaign while Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka are the preferred choices for Wenger in midfield with Mohamed Elneny desperate to prove his worth at the club following his top performance in the Community Shield.
