Chelsea will reportedly step up their pursuit of Arsenal ace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as he edges closer to an exit from the Gunners.
Fresh from making it four new signings this summer with the arrival of Alvaro Morata on Friday, it seems as though Antonio Conte and Co. will waste no time in moving on to their next target.
Signing Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger and Willy Caballero is already really smart business from the Premier League champions, and they could be about to add another quality player while simultaneously dealing a major blow to a direct rival.
According to Sky Sports, Oxlade-Chamberlain has told Arsene Wenger this week that he has no intention of signing the extension that’s currently on offer. In turn, the 23-year-old is expected to be the subject of talks between Chelsea and Arsenal within 48 hours of the two clubs returning from their pre-season tour.
Chelsea face Arsenal in a friendly in Beijing on Saturday, and so perhaps there could be a window of opportunity for them to start discussions there. However, it’s also added in the report that Wenger is 100 percent confident that the England international stays at the Emirates.
It’s a difficult time for Arsenal, arguably brought on by themselves for waiting this long, with Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil all having just 12 months remaining on their respective deals. Now, there are serious question marks hanging over them now in terms of whether or not they will stay.
Oxlade-Chamberlain had the best season of his career to date last year as he steered clear of injuries, stayed fit, impressed on a regular basis and showed his versatility to play a key role for Arsenal. However, with Chelsea now knocking on the door, it could be enough to persuade him to move over to west London.