Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain isn’t a name that many Celtic fans would’ve expected to be linked this winter.
But then again, it has not been a predictable season. Martin O’Neill has made it clear that he would be more than happy to bring the ex-England international to Glasgow.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been available as a free agent since leaving Besiktas at the end of last summer. Aged 32, he is far from thinking about retirement.
On Wednesday evening, it was reported that Celtic are getting closer to signing Oxlade-Chamberlain after a fresh round of talks.
So where is the ex-Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder at? He described his situation in an interview a few months ago.
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Celtic target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain speaks out
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s partner has just had the couple’s second child, with many reporting that this is a key consideration for the midfielder in his next move.
Based in London, he would take some convincing to commit to a move to Glasgow.
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Speaking on ex-England teammate Ben Foster’s Fozcast in November, Oxlade-Chamberlain gave an insight into his life and priorities as a free agent.
He said: “Just a lot of waiting around, training and keeping myself fit. Just all that fun stuff that’s not that fun!
“It’s a different situation for me to be in. I had it when I was at Liverpool – I was a free agent, saw my contract out there.
“I had it for a month or two, but then the season kicked off and I signed in Turkey on the 14th of August. So it wasn’t too long, it wasn’t like now.
“Now, the season’s well and truly underway, and it’s that awkward bit of waiting and you’re missing out, and you want to be playing.
“It’s different. It’s not a nice situation for any footballer to be in, but I’m fortunate enough were I’ve put myself in the situation where I can choose what’s best for me.
“I’ve said no to things. There’s more in play now – family, children… can be a bit more selective. But ultimately the whole thing is you want to get back playing and going again as soon as possible.
“Basically, yeah [I’m just waiting for a phone call.] There’s obviously stuff you can do to be proactive yourself and maybe find opportunities, or let people know you’d be open to opportunities.
“But ultimately, you’re sat there and it’s out of your control, right? You’re sat waiting for a call; for a team to decide they need you, or you can bring value.
“Yeah, [I’ve had offers], but the majority of them have been Europe, away from home. And for me, I did two years away, which I found difficult on a family level. I was going six-eight weeks without seeing my son, my missus, mum and dad didn’t even get a look in!
“So that was difficult, so I just knew that I don’t want to do that again. I want to be back in England, and it’s just waiting for the right thing to pop up back here, close enough that it makes sense for a family thing.
“Once you have children, it changes things. It’s not all just about me now.”
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The career of Celtic target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
After emerging as a 16-year-old wonderkid at Southampton, Oxlade-Chamberlain earned a £15 million move to Arsenal in 2011, becoming the youngest ever English goalscorer in the Champions League (a record which was later broken by Jude Bellingham).
At age 18, Oxlade-Chamberlain was named in the 23-man England squad at EURO 2012, alongside future Hoops hero Joe Hart. He appeared in their opening match against France.
He went on to make 198 appearances for Arsenal before joining Liverpool for £35 million in 2018. He played a crucial role in their run to the Champions League final in 2018 and title-winning Premier League season in 2019-20.
Beset by multiple major injuries, he faded into a background role in Jurgen Klopp’s squad before moving to Besiktas on a free transfer. Across two years in Turkey, he played under eight managers.
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