Liverpool are reportedly unlikely to allow Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to leave the club in this summer’s transfer window.
According to the Daily Mirror, Jurgen Klopp was impressed with how the former Arsenal midfielder influenced games and conducted himself during a period last season when Naby Keita was away at AFCON.
Liverpool won’t want to be short of squad depth, and it seems Oxlade-Chamberlain remains an important part of Klopp’s thinking, especially as others are leaving.
Specifically, the Mirror state that the imminent departure of Takumi Minamino looks set to cement the club’s decision that Oxlade-Chamberlain should not be moved on this summer.
Clubs like West Ham and Newcastle have been closely monitoring the midfielder but it looks like Klopp will block any deal that could send him away.
That’s probably a sensible decision, as the 28-year-old is a versatile, experienced player, who could get plenty of minutes over the course of a long campaign.
The Mirror note that Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa had shown an interest in Oxlade-Chamberlain, but it seems that LFC would rather lose the player on a free in a year’s time when his contract expires, instead of selling him for a reduced fee now and being left short of depth in midfield.