Arsenal could reportedly cash in on the services of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with Liverpool topping the list of possible destinations. The Gunners will be participating in the Europa League next season, and this will have a significant dent on their overall revenue.
According to The Indeopendent, Oxlade-Chamberlain could be one of the many first-team players being sold this summer with Arsene Wenger likely to balance his books to comply with the new Premier League cost measures.
As per the rules, the Gunners should not exceed their wage bill beyond £7m in comparison to last season while it should not be more than £19m since the 2012-13 campaign.
Wenger is determined to offer new deals to Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez with a substantial wage hike, and this could push their wage bill way up with the club likely to bring in fresh recruits.
Apart from the fringe players which include the likes of Mathieu Debuchy, Joel Campbell and Kieran Gibbs, the club could also look to offload Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is currently attracting interest from Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are keen to add a new versatile player to their ranks ahead of their return to the Champions League, and The Ox fits the bill following the exceptional work rate displayed in the backend of last season.
Arsenal cannot use finances from outside resources in order to adjust their wage bill and this could probably see the sale of Oxlade-Chamberlain for a fee of around £25m.
The former Southampton graduate directly contributed to 17 goals/assists last term, but he is still unsure where his future would lie with Arsenal yet to extend his contract due to expire in 2018.
Meanwhile, Olivier Giroud could also be shown the exit door in the summer despite penning a fresh contract earlier in January. The Frenchman is a target for both West Ham United and Marseille, and the arrival of a new marksman could trigger his exit.
Injury-plagued midfielder Jack Wilshere is another player in the danger zone, but Arsenal could find it tough to recoup a bigger sale price due to his high wages.
