English Football
Chelsea agree fee to sign Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Chelsea have agreed a fee with Arsenal for England international winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sky Sports News understands.
The 24-year old is with the England squad at St George’s Park and Sky Sports News understands large parts of a medical could be carried out at England’s training centre.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is out of contract at the end of the season, along with Arsenal team-mates Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.
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As with Sanchez and Ozil, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has consistently said he wants Oxlade-Chamberlain to stay at the Emirates in the long-term.
But Sky Sports News reported last week that Oxlade-Chamberlain had rejected a new offer which would have seen his weekly wage rise to £180,000.
We understand Oxlade-Chamberlain met with Wenger before their weekend trip to Liverpool to talk over his future, although he was named in the starting line-up for the 4-0 defeat at Anfield.
Oxlade-Chamberlain had also been mooted as a target for Liverpool but appears set to stay in London with the reigning Premier League champions.
After rising to prominence with Southampton during the 2010–11 season aged 17, he signed for Arsenal in August 2011.
Scoring twice in his first three matches for the club, Oxlade-Chamberlain became the youngest English goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history and has also claimed a regular place in the England Under-21s team.
Fans have nicknamed Oxlade-Chamberlain “The Ox”, derived from the first part of his surname, as well as his physical tenacity and powerful playing style.
Oxlade-Chamberlain made his debut for the senior England team on 26 May 2012 in a 1–0 win against Norway in a friendly.
Following this, he received a surprise call-up to the England squad for UEFA Euro 2012, becoming the second youngest player ever to represent England in the European Championships behind Wayne Rooney.