With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s future at Arsenal in severe doubt, has manager Arsene Wenger managed him as well as they could have?

Of all the players that could have given Arsenal trouble this summer, few would have predicted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Currently, it’s fair to say contract negotiations between Arsenal and Chamberlain have not gone well.

Naturally, this had led to plenty of speculation about who wants him and where he could go. According to the Express, Chelsea and Manchester City are set to duke it out for his signature while Arsenal try to convince the Ox to stay.

Amongst all this, it’s hard not to think the Gunners haven’t managed the England international particularly well during his six years at the club. At 23, Arsenal should be tying down Oxlade-Chamberlain for his best years as a player. However, his refusal to sign an extension suggests that not all is right with his relationship with the club.

One point of contention is apparently his position. The Arsenal man has made no secret of his preference to play as a central midfielder, but he’s yet to be given a consistent run there. He’s been used him all over the park, operating as a wing-back on the left and right last season. I’m sure that wasn’t part of the Ox’s plan.

While circumstances have led to that happening, it’s quite telling the midfielder is now in Wenger’s plans as a wing-back and not in the engine room. Clearly, he’s yet to convince his manager he can play there in the long-term.

Wenger will point to the amount of competition in midfield as reason for not playing xlade-Chamberlain, but the player could claim he was never given the same number of opportunities as others.

I can imagine he’s frustrated by not having a fixed role at the club despite having been there for six years. Yet, the grass isn’t always greener, and Chamberlain must be aware the likes of Chelsea, City and Liverpool may not view him as a central midfielder, either.

He made 45 appearances for Arsenal last season, which is a significant improvement over recent years. I’m not convinced he could get that elsewhere.