Liverpool’s opening offer of £30m for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been rebuffed, according to James Olley of the Evening Standard.
Understand #lfc have had an opening offer for Oxlade-Chamberlain rejected by #afc. Lower than #cfc‘s £40m, circa £30m. Ball in #lfc‘s court.
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) August 30, 2017
Arsenal, who had accepted a £40m offer from Chelsea, are refusing to do business unless we match the fee the Premier League champions were prepared to offer.
The versatile Englishman last night rejected Chelsea though, hoping Jurgen Klopp would come in for him instead.
He no longer wants to play as a right wing-back and thought with Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 formation, there isn’t any room for him in central midfield considering the likes of N’Golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas, Tiemoue Bakoyoko and the expected signing of Danny Drinkwater.
Liverpool though are chasing Thomas Lemar, who like The Ox, provides an option on either flank or in the middle three.
We’d be surprised if Liverpool signed both, meaning this bid for the 23-year-old unfortunately suggests our pursuit of Monaco’s superstar isn’t going progressing as hoped.
We now wait to see if Liverpool up our offer for Oxlade-Chamberlain or smash the transfer record for Lemar – all while waiting to see if a bid for Virgil van Dijk is lodged!
UPDATE:
According to Paul Joyce, discussions are ongoing. We expect Liverpool to reach an agreement by the end of play tomorrow, with Klopp willing to field The Ox in his favoured central midfield role.
Liverpool now in contact with Arsenal over Oxlade-Chamberlain.
— paul joyce (@_pauljoyce) August 30, 2017