Tag Archives: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Arsenal injury update: Laurent Koscielny/Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

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Despite the fantastic performances from our three new signings yesterday afternoon, Arsenal’s 4-0 pre-season win over FC Koln did not come without any adverse effects. The booing of Robin van Persie by some Arsenal fans aside, we will now have to deal with injuries to both Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Laurent Koscielny ahead of the new Premier League season.

This week a number of our players are away on international duty. However, both Koscielny and AOC have been withdrawn from the France and England squads respectively. Speaking at a press conference earlier today, new France manager Didier Deschamps confirmed that Koscielny is suffering from a calf injury, although there is no indication as to how serious:

“Everybody has arrived this morning and everybody is in good health. We have a problem with Laurent Koscielny who has a problem with his calf. He will be examined this afternoon but its seems difficult to play him on Wednesday.

“It’s not much of a concern to have 21 players. I am not going to call anyone else up. Right now we have enough players in that position. Certain people aren’t here because of different reasons – also through injury.

“With the withdrawal of Koscielny, three defenders are left. Two will make their debuts, which will help us take a look at them”

Oxlade-Chamberlain, meanwhile, has become the third player to pull out of the young England squad chosen to face Italy on Wednesday. The Ox has picked up a small ankle injury and will join Daniel Sturridge and Joe Hart on the sidelines. However, as with Koscielny we have no idea how bad the injury is.

Hopefully, neither player will be out for particularly long. Arsène Wenger will no doubt give a full injury update in his press conference on Friday, but the early reports suggest that at least one of players will be available to play against Sunderland on Saturday. Bacary Sagna, Jack Wilshere and Emmanuel Frimpong are Arsenal’s only other long-term injuries.

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Is Arsenal ready? Ins and outs

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Ins

Carl Jenkinson

Age: 19

Position: Right back

Transfer fee: ~£1 million

Previous club/league: Charlton/League One

Gervinho

Age: 24

Position: Winger/Forward

Transfer fee: ~£10.5 million

Previous club/league: Lille/Ligue 1

2010/11 season stats: Apps 53 Goals 18 Assists 10

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Age: 17

Position: Winger/Attacking midfielder

Transfer fee: ~£7 million rising to £12 million

Previous club/league: Southampton/League One

2010/11 season stats: Apps 41 Goals 11 Assists 9

Outs

Denilson (loan to Sao Paulo)

Clichy (~£7 million to Man City)

JET (~£1 million to Ipswich)

Wellington (loan to Levante)

Tom Cruise (released)

Mark Randall (free to Chesterfield)

Arsenal has spent £18.5 million and received £8 million = £10.5 million expenditure, not including any payment for loan deals and the add-ons for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Only one of our three recruits is ready to slip straight into the first team, in Gervinho. The other two players were in League One last season and they are both under 20 years old. So we have hardly brought in bags of experience.

What did we really need this summer? Some experience and some defensive additions. Given that we lost Clichy and have bought Jenkinson, it seems that our defence has actually been weakened. And as previously mentioned, we have failed to bring in experience.

With the Newcastle game only four days away, I hope Wenger knows what he’s doing, because I definitely don’t. He has supposedly made bids for Jagielka and Cahill, but such transfer deals failed to materialise. Both Vermaelen and Koscielny are likely to be out for the Newcastle game, which means that Squillaci and Djourou may start against The Magpies. These two players are quite simply not good enough to start for Arsenal, and we had the misfortune to experience that last season.

I know Wenger has said that he has been working through the night to strengthen the squad, but the fact remains that the necessary defensive recruitments have not been made. We have a few days left – come on Arsene, do something!

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Midfielder seals move to Arsenal

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has sealed the move from Southampton to Arsenal.

Arsenal.com states that he “has joined the Gunners on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.” The transfer fee is expected to be in the region of £7 million with around £5 million in add-ons depending on appearances and other factors.

The youngster will turn 18 next week, and only broke into the Southampton first team last year, making 41 appearances, scoring 11 goals and assisting 9.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is following in the footsteps of Theo Walcott, who signed for Arsenal five years ago after only one season in the Southampton first team. Similarly, the fee for Walcott was £5 million rising to £12 million based on appearances. Coaches who worked with both Theo and Alex have remarked that the latter is better than Walcott was at the same age.

He can play right across the midfield and his impressive performances last campaign earned him a place in the PFA League One Team of the Year 2010/2011. However, is a 17 year old from League One the answer to our problems? Undoubtedly he is talented, but defensive players are still a necessity, especially after Clichy has left, Vermaelen and Gibbs faced knocks in the Benfica game and Squillaci is looking worse than ever! Straight Talking Gooners has also heard that Vermaelen’s injury is likely to be worse than first thought, and he may very well miss the first few games of the season.

Back to our new signing, and Wenger said the following:

 ”We are delighted that Alex has decided to join us.

“He is an exciting young player who will provide us with creativity and offensive quality. Alex is a versatile player who can play in a number of positions. He can play as an attacking centre midfielder, or wide left and right.

“Alex is a perceptive passer of the ball and has a great understanding of the game and looks to be a very good team player.”

The young Englishman expressed his delight at joining Arsenal:

“I’m so excited to be joining Arsenal. It’s a fantastic club and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of playing football at the highest level.

“Arsenal have a great manager in Arsène Wenger, top quality players and an attractive style of play. These were all important factors in me choosing to sign for Arsenal.

“I’m proud to be joining Arsenal, but I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Southampton for their help and support during the early part of my career, for which I will always be grateful.”

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Breaking News: Arsenal to sign three players this week

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The latest rumours to hit the media are suggesting that Arsenal are on the verge on signing three players: Joel Campbell, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gary Cahill.

Joel Campbell

Despite the fact that the Campbell deal was reported to have fallen through, it seems back on the cards. He said that he didn’t want to sign anywhere until after the FIFA U20 World Cup, where he has scored two of his countries four goals in the competition so far. They are in the knockout stages and will play Columbia tomorrow evening. The deal is expected to be completed in the next few days, but if Costa Rica stay in the tournament, the finalisation of the move may take slightly longer.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Arsenal are set to sign the Southampton youngster this week, with a bid of £7 million plus around £5 million add-ons. Alex was close to joining Arsenal in January, but Southampton wanted to have him back on loan for the rest of the campaign, which proved a stumbling block. This time round, The Saints are apparently asking for a 40% sell-on fee to be placed in the contract, which may deter the Gunners. However, plenty of sources have made it clear that Oxlade-Chamberlain is already having a medical at Arsenal today.

Gary Cahill

Steve Rowley supposedly saw Cahill play as Bolton lost 1-0 to Levante on Friday night. Arsenal are thought to have been keeping tabs on several defenders this summer – Jagielka, Samba, Dann and Cahill. It is also reported that Cahill has been watched on more than 20 occasions. The 25 year old will probably cost over £15 million, but Cahill is young, English and clearly talented. Sources close to the club have revealed that Cahill is likely to sign for the Gunners in the next few days.

Personally, he is my favourite defender out of those that we have been linked with. I will be very pleased if he does complete the deal to Arsenal. Furthermore, if both Cahill and Oxlade-Chamberlain sign, then Arsenal will have added three English players to the squad this summer, which is good for two reasons. Firstly, an English backbone to a Premier League side brings strong communication and the English grit and determination (look at Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd). Secondly, if any home-grown player rules do come into effect in the next few years, we will be ready to accept them.

However, out of these three players, Cahill is probably the least likely to sign for Arsenal. The other two deals are all but done, according to the media and other sources.

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Arsenal News Round-up: Transfers, Vermaelen speaks and Ox fined

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Pay up Arsène

News reports are indicating that Arsenal has been told by Everton to pay up for Jagielka. The fee that is being thrown about is around £18 million. If we can get Cahill for less, why not go for him? Cahill is younger, more comfortable on the ball (from what I have seen + several reports), he is taller and has scored more goals in the Premier League.

I’d like to reiterate the point that no quotes exist regarding an Arsenal bid for Jagielka. Until there is some more evidence, we should take such reports with a pinch of salt. Especially reports that say we have bid a measly £10 million.

In addition, is it not true that Moyes wants Bendtner? If so, I’m sure Arsenal are exploring the option of offering Bendtner as a makeweight in such a deal for Jagielka. Everton really need strikers – Yakubu looks set to leave and Saha has recently struggled for fitness. Perhaps Bendtner will be an important factor if Wenger is serious about signing Everton’s English centre back.

Gibbs to be great

Thomas Vermaelen has praised Gibbs in an interview shown on Arsenal Player. Ever since Clichy left, Gooners have been worrying about the left back position. Wenger has been happy to suggest that Gibbs is our first choice, followed by Traore and Vermaelen himself. Our Belgian star has supported Kieran in this recent interview:

“I think Kieran is a really talented player.

“I played a few games with him in my first year and he impressed me a lot. He’s a fit player, he can run a lot, he’s a technical player as well. He has all the qualities to be a world class full back.”

Wenger’s comments indicate that potential bids for Baines, Sakho and Jose Enrique are merely media speculation. Vermaelen’s quotes will do little to ease the worry of Arsenal fans. Gibbs will have to show his worth on the pitch in order to win some support.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is fined

Arsenal target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been fined over comments regarding his wish to play for the North London club. The comments can be seen here. According to the Daily Mail, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been fined two weeks wages for expressing his desire to leave.

Southampton’s manager wishes to keep the youngster:

“We believe it’s better for him to stay at Southampton and play his football and keep developing.

“We’ve got to try to make sure we look after a young boy who’s handled himself ever so well but has been placed in a situation with speculation. It’s speculation with big football clubs people always dream about.”

However, if Wenger does offer the reported £10 million, it will be difficult for Southampton to say no.

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Southampton look to Arsenal for deal over Oxlade-Chamberlain

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Southampton Manager Nigel Adkins has hinted that the best option for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be a move to Arsenal. Liverpool and Manchester United were also interested in signing the 17-year-old, who came through the same youth academy as Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale.

Adkins is reported as saying “We would only let him go to a club that would nurture him and treat him properly… We will do the right thing for Alex and not just sell him to the highest bidder.”

Reports suggest that Southampton are holding out for a fee of around £10 million, and are also keen on keeping the player on loan until the end of the season.

Since his debut earlier this season, Oxlade-Chamberlain, the second youngest player to make an appearance for the first team after Theo Walcott, has scored 6 goals in 23 appearances for the club. He has also made his debut for the England Under 18 side against Poland in November.

Arsenal are well known for developing their so called “Young Guns.” You only have to look at the emergence of young talents such as Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey to see that Arsène Wenger offers increased opportunities to younger players looking to gain some much-desired first-team experience.

The majority of clubs would be looking for the highest fee, but Adkins seems to have the player’s best interest at heart. If you are going to lose an extremely gifted player to a bigger club, it is important to look at the deal from the player’s point of view as much as it is about getting the most lucrative deal for the club.

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Transfer Talk: Saturday 15th January

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There has not much news for Arsenal in the January transfer window so far. The only completed transfers have seen 18 year old Ryo Miyaichi join the London club from his school in Japan, and Havard Nordtveit join Borussia Mönchengladbach for a fee of around £800,000. In addition, a few loan deals for reserve team and academy players have also gone through.

Arsenal are looking to beat off competition from Manchester United and Liverpool to sign Southampton youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Although Arsenal are said to be ready to offer £5 million for the 17 year old, it seems that Southampton are holding out for a deal worth around £8-10 million (slightly more than we paid for Theo Walcott a few years ago). The club are also hoping that, should a deal be done, he will remain on loan at St Mary’s until the end of the season.

Oxlade-Chamberlains father, former Portsmouth and England international Mark Chamberlain, claims that his son is “better than Walcott,” adding: “I’ve worked with both. As an all-round technical player Alex has more to offer.”

Speaking in an Arsenal press-conference, Wenger denied that any deal had already been done saying: “I cannot speak about that. If we go any further with any player, we will inform you.”

Likeliness Rating 3.5/5


Arsène Wenger could be tempted by a move which would re-unite Thomas Vermaelen with former team-mate (and best friend) Jan Vertonghen.

Vertonghen is valued at around £15 million, which could be a little bit more than Wenger is willing to spend. However, I think that he would be the ideal defensive partner for Thomas Vermaelen when our superb centre back returns from injury. With more than 150 first team appearances for Ajax, Vertonghen possesses the quality and experience that our team requires so desperately. Reports suggested that Wenger was interested in signing him in the summer, and with Squillaci and Vermaelen both injured for the foreseeable future, the club is in desperate need of some decent cover in central defence.

Likeliness Rating 3/5


Manuel Almunia is considering a move to Galatasaray, after interest from Athletico Madrid has faded.

It seems that it is only a matter of time before Almunia is sold to another club.

Almunia featured for over 70 mintues of the Champions League final against Barcelona in 2006, after Jens Lehmann got sent off, and slowly worked his way towards becoming a first-team regular. However, his name has recently been at the top of the list of players who were likely to leave during the January transfer window. He has fallen out of favour with Wenger and has barely featured for the first-team this season, falling down the pecking order behind Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny.

Likeliness Rating 4/5


Andrei Arshavin could move to Juventus after fans questioned his performances and motivation.

Arshavin’s agent, Dennis Lachter, has suggested that they could be pushing for a move to Italy, telling the press, “There’s a possibility of Andrei’s move to Juventus, but two things can prevent this deal – first, Arsenal can win the Premier League this year, which is a dream of any footballer, and second is the financial power of Juve. Arsenal are demanding no less than £20million to release Arshavin.” 

At the moment, I believe that Arshavin is simply experiencing a lack of form. He is frustrated at being put on the bench so often this season, but I expect him to work his way back into the starting eleven.

Likeliness Rating 1.5/5

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