Liverpool will likely be ‘preparing for life without’ Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain once his contract expires in June, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
The 29-year-old has been at Anfield since 2017 but, following an impressive first season on Merseyside, has seen his Reds career dogged by a series of injuries.
A return of 471 minutes in all competitions during the current campaign (Transfermarkt) indicates how far down the pecking order he’s fallen, and some believe that a parting of the ways this summer seems inevitable.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke said: “I think it would be difficult for him now to win a new deal. I think Liverpool are preparing for life without Oxlade-Chamberlain and I’m sure he’s out there waiting and listening to offers to see what’s available for him in the summer.
“A bit like Naby Keita, injuries have played a big part in his whole time at Liverpool. It’s really held him back. He’s had good periods under Jurgen Klopp where he’s looked like he could become a mainstay, but injuries have prevented that.
“I think he probably needs to move on for a fresh challenge because he does seem well down the pecking order at Anfield.”
That aligns with Fabrizio Romano’s recent claim to CaughtOffside that the midfielder is likely to depart in the summer.
Liverpool may well be looking at Ox’s current salary in relation to what he’s been able to contribute on the pitch, as well as his injury record, and considering the wisdom of offering him a new contract.
According to FBref, the former Arsenal man takes home £120,000 per week – a bigger wage than regular starter Andrew Robertson and more than double that of Luis Diaz, who WhoScored metrics cite as our highest-rated performer this season.
Aside from a run of four successive Premier League starts in the first few games back after the World Cup, the 29-year-old has either had to rely on substitute appearances, watched from the bench or not been involved at all on matchday in the top flight this term (Transfermarkt).
He’s clearly dropped out of Jurgen Klopp’s thinking when it comes to selecting his starting XI, and the player himself could well seek to reignite his career elsewhere as the final few months of his Liverpool contract tick down.
While such a stance would be understandable, it’d be a shame to see his Reds career petering out after showing such promise in his first season at the club, when the world seemed to be his oyster as he put Manchester City to the sword with goals in two memorable victories at Anfield.
chamberlain has been a complete waste of 40 odd million quid , he can be a decent enough player when hes fit ,problem is he is never fit for more than a handfull of games and that has happened throughout his career . we were mugs to buy him in the first place and have stupidly repeated the mistake with other players since ,keita, fabinho, thiago ,we simply didnt learn from past errors ( should have learned after glen johnson and nat clyne) . no matter what happens next summer or in future transfer windows the ability to stay fit should be one of the first items we look at before buying anyone .