da brdice： According to reports in the Daily Mirror, Chelsea have joined Premier League rivals Manchester City and Liverpool in the race to sign 23-year-old Arsenal and England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.
What’s the word, then?
da heads bet： Well, Blues boss Antonio Conte is keen to significantly strengthen his squad this summer in order to ensure that they have the best chance of retaining their Premier League title next season, as well as being competitive on their return to the group stages of the Champions League.
The west London outfit have been alerted to the fact that Oxlade-Chamberlain has just a year left on his contract with the Gunners, and that their neighbours from the capital have yet to tie him down to a new one.
According to Sky Sports, the 23-year-old is frustrated at the lack of progress and regular playing time he has had since moving to the Emirates from Southampton in 2011.
How did Oxlade-Chamberlain do last season?
While he largely found a consistent run in the starting line-up hard to find, the England international still scored six goals and provided a further 11 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions for Arsene Wenger’s men.
He was particularly impressive towards the end of the campaign in a right wing-back role in Wenger’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formartion, which may have convinced him that he still has a long-term future with the Gunners.
Would he be a good signing for Chelsea?
He certainly would be.
Conte’s preferred system is the one that Wenger deployed at the end of last season and Oxlade-Chamberlain would certainly provide some much-needed competition for Victor Moses on the right-hand side – especially with the more congested fixture list next term.
His ability to get forward and create chances – as well as his willingness to help out from a defensive point of view – will make Oxlade-Chamberlain an attractive prospect for Conte, especially at an age where there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Could Chelsea beat Man City and Liverpool to his signature?
There is no doubt that if the 23-year-old chooses to leave Arsenal then it will be for a fresh start and regular first team football.
If Conte cannot guarantee that Chamberlain would be the first choice in the right wing-back role or in central midfield, then he would be unlikely to make the move to Stamford Bridge unless he really wants to stay in London.
In terms of playing time, a move to Liverpool would seem the most obvious with doubts over whether he would play ahead of the likes of Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane under Pep Guardiola.