Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has reportedly rejected Arsenal’s latest contract offer and could be on the move. So what does the future hold for the 23-year-old?

It’s quite hard to believe that it’s been six years since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Arsenal. The time has flown by, and looking at Chamberlain now, not much has changed since he was a highly exciting 17-year-old lighting up a very average Arsenal team.

We’ve waited a long time for the Year of the Ox – that one season where he doesn’t just explode in three or four games, but in twenty or thirty games. The raw attributes have always been there, but for one reason or another it just hasn’t happened.

Last season was, perhaps, the closest we’d get to a Year of the Ox. He made more appearances than he had done before, scored more goals than he had done before and registered more assists. His versatility proved vital for Arsenal as he played right-wing, left-wing, central midfield, right wing-back and even left wing-back. He had become, by all accounts, an important part of the Arsenal team.

Yet, there is still uncertainty. One sticking point appears to be his position. Chamberlain has come down with a case of the “Walcotts”, exhibiting symptoms such as having an unhealthy fixation with a central position and threatening to leave if he doesn’t play in the middle more. He feels that central midfield is his best position and, if you believe reports, would be willing to move if it meant more minutes there than in an unglamorous wing-back role.

Much like Walcott, Chamberlain has the skills to succeed in a central position but his performances have proven otherwise. He’s had the opportunity to play central midfield every season due to injuries and has always started off great. He’d go past players with ease, exhibit a fine range of passing and split open defences. He’d glide over the pitch with pace and power and prompt a hundred articles claiming that he has to play there.

But then, the flaws creep in. A lack of defensive awareness and a habit of conceding possession deep in his own half are fatal for any aspiring central midfielder. Recent games in the middle for England also showed his passing can be erratic; for every one brilliantly weighted ball over the top would be followed by three misplaced sideways passes. In an Arsenal team that values possession, this isn’t good enough.

It’s possible that, with a long run of games in the position, Chamberlain could iron out those flaws. With the stakes so high, though, Arsenal can’t afford to give him that run. Neither, you’d think, would Liverpool, Chelsea or Manchester City.

Hence, his only chance of regular playing time at the top level is on the flanks, either in an advanced position or in a defensive one. One of his biggest strengths is his ability to push the ball past a player or whip a good cross in. As simplistic as that may be, there’s no shame in cultivating that ability. Nor would there be in accepting that versatility is another of his great strengths. The ability to play multiple positions is a valuable quality for any top side.

In the end, these are all technical issues. The biggest issue facing Chamberlain could well be a mental one. Six years at Arsenal is a long time to go without a big breakthrough. It’s possible that he needs a fresh environment to unlock his potential. The guidance of a Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola or Antonio Conte would surely be tempting for him.

The next move for Chamberlain is a crucial one. He would still have a future at Arsenal should he stay, but he’d risk not having a fixed position and not being a certain starter. A move away would be exciting and invigorating but also risky. At 23, and with a year left on his contract, now might be the most opportune time to take that risk.

It’d be a shame to see his talent flourish else where, but Arsenal can’t afford to be held to ransom over him.