New Arsenal deal for Ox could be blessing in disguise for Liverpool

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Could Chelsea and Liverpool actually be glad if they miss out on Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain?

The ‘will he leave, won’t he leave’ rumours surrounding Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have swung back in Arsenal’s favour, with the Mirror reporting they are set to offer the midfielder a new contract.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s current deal at the Emirates Stadium expires in 2018 and as a result both Chelsea and Liverpool had been linked with a move for the England international this summer.

Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after the match

However, Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is a big fan of the 23-year-old’s and now his own future at the club has been sorted, he wants to make sure the Englishman stays as well.

As a result the North Londoners have opened talks with Oxlade-Chamberlain, which could see his current wages of around £70,000-a-week rise beyond £100,000.

While this would mean both Antonio Conte and Juergen Klopp would miss out, perhaps hindsight will prove that is not such a bad thing – especially as the report claimed it would cost around £30m to prise the player away from Arsenal.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is a talented player, but at that price he also seems to fall into the trap of English players being overvalued – especially when that should be a cut-price fee because of his expiring contract.

Not only that, but while wage demands in excess of £100,000-a-week may not be unusual at either Anfield or Stamford Bridge, that is a lot to pay for someone who is effectively a squad player.

Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrates after Laurent Koscielny scores their first goal

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Oxlade-Chamberlain has spent prolonged spells of his six-year career at the Etihad since a 2011 move from Southampton in the medical room.

So while missing out might sting initially, perhaps not spending a huge sum on an injury-prone and possibly overrated midfielder will prove to be a blessing in disguise for Chelsea and Liverpool.