Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain reportedly rejected the chance to move to Chelsea because of their plans to play him at right-back and because he believes Jurgen Klopp will be a better manager for his development.

After arriving at Arsenal from Southampton in 2011, the Ox showed glimpses of talent but was a frustrating figure more often than not – when he actually managed to get on the pitch. A series of lengthy and serious injuries kept him out for long periods of time and his development certainly stalled at the club.

Moving to Liverpool in a mega-deal that made him Arsenal’s most expensive sale ever, the Ox could have went to Chelsea but opted to move north where he was reportedly promised a central midfield role.

Quite how that is going to work is hard to understand.

To get in there he will have to displace either Jordan Henderson, club captain, or Emre Can. Both of those players are significantly better than the Ox.

At Arsenal, he was given only a handful of chances to show what he could do in that more central role and shone once or twice, but it remains to be seen if he can turn those sorts of displays into the standard or if they were just outliers from an infuriatingly inconsistent player.

Plus, we also have to see if Klopp just told Alex what he wanted to hear in order to sign him in the first place…