Martin O’Neill has all-but confirmed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is joining Celtic.
In the final hours of transfer deadline day, it emerged that Oxlade-Chamberlain was of interest to Celtic, with the club dipping into the free agent market.
After making five loan signings in the window – and three on deadline day – the move for the Englishman is expected to be a six-month contract with an option to extend.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been training with Arsenal in recent months, having left Besiktas in the summer following a two-year stint in Istanbul.
Now, he looks set to join forces with Celtic as they battle in a three-way race for the title.
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Martin O’Neill on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Celtic
Reports have conflicted on the move, with some saying that the player would need convincing to leave southern England to the recent birth of his child.
That convincing seems to have been done, however.
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And speaking at his press conference ahead of this weekend’s Scottish Cup tie against Dundee, O’Neill confirmed that he expects the move to go ahead.
He said: “Yeah, I spoke to him this morning, I think he wants to come, and I think he is coming.
“I would’ve assumed that he had a number of options, I think he was even talking about Arsenal, where he is training. They might’ve taken him on as they’ve had a couple of injuries.
“So I’m delighted that he’s going to come… or so he says. I think he’s doing a medical tomorrow, and all being well, I’m hoping that he signs on.”
Asked on Joe Hart convincing Oxlade-Chamberlain, O’Neill said: “I think the club itself has convinced him, more than anything else – if, indeed, it is convincing.
“We might be having this conversation in 36 hours and he might come up here, see what the weather’s like and disappear back down again! Quite easily… there’s a few that have done that in the past.”
Finally, on his match sharpness, O’Neill said: “That’s really the main point about it all.
“In terms of European football, because we were able to do these things, I wanted to do these changes to people who were actually at the football club, rather than waiting around.
“There might be a bit of disappointment there, from Alex’s viewpoint, to do it on the European stage.
“But we had to press on. But if we do get up to speed, I believe he’s got the desire. He wants to do well, he’s 32, which in this day and age is no age whatsoever for a player, or players who look after themselves.
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