Soccer:Arsenal have completed the €17.3 million of Southampton winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Gunners are to pay €13.8 million up front and a further €3.5 million in add-ons.
Arsene Wenger hailed Oxlade-Chamberlain, who turns 18 next Monday, as a player of rich potential. “We are delighted that Alex has decided to join us,” Wenger told the club’s official website. “He is an exciting young player who will provide us with creativity and offensive quality.
“Alex is a versatile player who can play in a number of positions. He can play as an attacking centre midfielder, or wide left and right. Alex is a perceptive passer of the ball and has a great understanding of the game and looks to be a very good team player.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has yet to compete at a higher level than League One but his signing will still be viewed as a coup for Arsenal, despite the size of the transfer fee. Manchester United and Liverpool also expressed interest in the Southampton academy product, but the Gunners edged their rivals on this occasion.
“Alex agreed personal terms and passed a medical this afternoon,” read a statement on Southampton’s official website www.saintsfc.co.uk. Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was contracted at Southampton until 2013, is regarded as one of England's most promising young footballers.
He played a key role in helping Southampton secure promotion to the Championship last season, firing nine goals in 34 appearances. His style has invited comparisons with Theo Walcott, who also left Saints for Arsenal, though Oxlade-Chamberlain is considered better defensively.
“Arsenal have a great manager in Arsene Wenger, top-quality players and an attractive style of play,” said Oxlade-Chamberlain. “These were all important factors in me choosing to sign for Arsenal.”
His arrival will encourage Arsenal fans desperate for manager Arsene Wenger to strengthen a squad that has consistently fallen short of mounting a serious challenge for the title. But it fails to remedy the team’s defensive frailties, which have been exacerbated by injuries to Thomas Vermaelen and Kieran Gibbs during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Benfica.
Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka and Christopher Samba have been linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium throughout the summer but with little end result. Wenger has been frustrated in his courtship of Valencia winger Juan Mata, making Gervinho and Carl Jenkinson the only new arrivals so far this summer prior to Oxlade-Chamberlain's signing.#
Meanwhile Danish forward Nicklas Bendtner has confirmed that he will leave the Gunners. A move away from the Emirates Stadium has been mooted for the 23-year-old striker who suffered from injury for most of last season.
Speaking at Hampden Park before Denmark trained ahead of their midweek friendly against Scotland, Bendtner was asked if he was set to leave the London club and replied: “Yes. I have done my part as well as I can and it’s up to Arsenal now to sort it out; I can’t do anything more.
“Hopefully it will be sorted soon but as I said to the Danish press, when I know something they will. I would like to play at a place where you are happy and play every week, that is the most important thing for any football player and hopefully that will happen soon.”
Asked if Stoke City were one of the teams he has spoken to, Bendtner laughed then responded: “I can’t say anything about who I have been speaking to, but hopefully it will all get sorted out soon.”
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