Former England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain appears destined for Celtic Park despite maintaining fitness at his old club Arsenal. The 32-year-old free agent has attracted strong interest from Scottish Premiership leaders following his departure from Turkish football. According to Bbc.com.
Oxlade-Chamberlain edges closer to Celtic despite Arsenal training stint
The experienced midfielder has been keeping match-ready at Arsenal, where he previously made 198 appearances across six seasons, but sources indicate a Scottish move now looks probable. Oxlade-Chamberlain became available after leaving Besiktas in August, ending a spell that yielded 46 appearances and five goals since his 2023 arrival.
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has openly discussed his pursuit of the former Liverpool star, revealing productive conversations between the parties. “I’ve spoken to him, but I’m sure he has plenty of options, maybe closer to London,” O’Neill acknowledged, while expressing surprise that other clubs haven’t secured his signature.
The Celtic boss believes the attraction is reciprocal, stating: “I think he was very excited about what we were saying.” O’Neill confirmed that former teammate Joe Hart has discussed the club with Oxlade-Chamberlain, though stressed this wasn’t at Celtic’s request, adding the caveat that “if it doesn’t materialise, it doesn’t materialise.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s career has included silverware at both Arsenal and Liverpool, winning three FA Cups with the Gunners before his £35m Anfield switch. At Liverpool, he collected Champions League, Premier League, League Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup medals, though injury setbacks including year-long knee ligament damage from April 2018 disrupted his progress.
His final Liverpool campaign was hampered by a pre-season hamstring problem in July 2022, restricting him to just nine Premier League appearances before his Turkish adventure. The 35-cap England international now appears ready for a new challenge in Scottish football.
