With the summer transfer window set to open soon, rumours have now surfaced that Leicester City is making a surprising move to sign Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to finish up their global title parade before the Euro 2016. According to the Mirror, the move well be on the cards as Arsenal themselves are reportedly looking to sign Sadio Mane and would fund the transfer if it is to happen.
The English winger had a very inconsistent run last season as he struggled to make it to the starting XI with any consistency. A string of injuries which has been haunting him since his move to Arsenal didn’t help his cause either. The England international now seems likely to move on this summer and with Claudio Ranieri's side in the Champions League, Oxlade-Chamberlain could well make the move to the King Power stadium and still wouldn’t be missing much.
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According to reports, Arsene Wenger could allow this move as this would pave the way for the speculated move of Sadio Mane to Arsenal as a perfect replacement for Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Saints winger had impressed on the pitch, but arguments with Ronald Koeman for his off-the-pitch behaviour has reportedly soured his stay at the south coast. Arsene Wenger, however, seems more than keen to prise the Senegalese international away from the clutches of Manchester United, who have been keen on the player as well.
The 24-year-old is said to be available for a fee of £17 million which would result in a profit of £6m for the Saints, who had brought Mane to the Premier League from Salzburg in 2014. It is speculated that Arsene Wenger would put a price tag of at least £15million for the Oxlade-Chamberlain in order to reinvest the money in Mane.
Southampton had also made a late attempt to take Oxlade-Chamberlain on loan at the fag end of the January window. They are now alleged to be ready to make a bid for the player who came through their ranks before moving to North London in 2011. The Saints would be able to offer him more consistent starts than the challenging clubs and with Wenger under pressure to renovate his squad after their recent debacle in the title race, the deal is a possibility.
The 22-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had suffered a knee injury earlier and is yet to recover cutting down his hopes of playing for England in Euro 2016 this summer. But he is expected be back on the pitch before the pre-season matches and might start for the Champions at the Community Shield at the end of the summer if the deal goes through.
