Arsene Wenger doesn’t believe it was a mistake to sell midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool this summer.
Arsenal sold the 24-year-old to Liverpool for £40m on transfer deadline day, after weeks of speculation about his future. Wenger was initially convinced Oxlade-Chamberlain wanted to stay and said plenty of complimentary things about him before he left.
However, he was eventually told that the English international wanted to leave and a sale was eventually sorted out. While selling a much-valued player to a rival is never good, Wenger doesn’t see it as a mistake.
Has Ox made a mistake: "I wouldn't call it that. We wish him well. You make decisions, we had to sell somebody." #AFC 1/2
— Mark Mann-Bryans (@MarkyMBryans) September 7, 2017
"We are today in a strong financial position and have a good enough squad to compete." #AFC 2/2
— Mark Mann-Bryans (@MarkyMBryans) September 7, 2017
Wenger on Ox leaving: "I think he's a great player, but sometimes it opens the door for a younger player like Nelson."
— Mattias Karén (@MattiasKaren) September 7, 2017
Arsenal did need to sell players in order to reduce their bloated wage bill. Given that we tried to extend the Ox’s contract, he wasn’t one of the players we wanted to let go. In the end, while losing a player so versatile weakened the squad, it doesn’t damage the quality of the first-team all that much.
It may end up working out to be a smart decision if it allows an exciting prospect such as Reiss Nelson to break into the first-team. Much like Oxlade-Chamberlain, Nelson featured as a right wing-back during pre-season and impressed there despite it being an unfamiliar position. He could be the answer.