Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ready to run down Arsenal contract' amid Liverpool links

Posted Tuesday, July 04, 2017 by squawka.com

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is prepared to wait out his Arsenal contract to secure a move to Liverpool after rejecting a take-it-or-leave-it offer from the club.

Oxlade-Chamberlain's current deal with Arsenal is due to expire next summer and the Gunners have recently opened discussions with the midfielder about a potential new contract.

The 23-year-old, according to the Times, was offered a substantial wage increase to put pen to paper on the new deal at the Emirates Stadium but Oxlade-Chamberlain has rejected that offer.

The England international is more concerned about securing regular playing time over a higher pay-packet. Oxlade-Chamberlain started just 16 Premier League matches last season, of which only six saw him play the full 90 minutes.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been impressed by the work Jurgen Klopp has done with Liverpool's current crop of attack-minded midfielders, like Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum, and believes he could significantly improve under the German.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ready to run down Arsenal contract' amid Liverpool links
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain created 31 chances in the Premier League last season

Liverpool saw an approach for the midfielder knocked back by Arsenal last week, leaving all parties at an impasse. Should Oxlade-Chamberlain refuse to sign a new deal though Arsenall may need to sell, rather than risk losing on a free transfer.

Such a stance from the player could further limit his playing time next season at Arsenal as well.

Oxlade-Chamberlain right to complain over Arsenal game time?

It seems Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's issues with Arsenal comes down to the amount of playing time he's receiving but just how does his match-time match up to his teammates?

erhaps surprisingly, when it comes to minutes played in the Premier League last season, Oxlade-Chamberlain was 11th among Arsenal players, which would have put him in the club's most used team of the season in the top flight.

The 23-year-old played 1,573 minutes of Premier League football last season, more than Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud and Gabriel.

When it comes to matches started though Oxlade-Chamberlain's 16 puts him 12th on the list. Alex Iwobi, Francis Coquelin and Theo Walcott all started more.