Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is now closing in on a move to Celtic following his time training with Arsenal, according to a report.
From early November to as recently as Wednesday, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been training with Arsenal and the Arsenal u21s as he looks to get himself fit for a new club.
But after three months of waiting, that new club might finally have arrived, with the BBC’s Nick Mashiter reporting that Oxlade-Chamberlain is now close to joining Celtic.
The BBC have been told a move is now likely, although a deal is still to be finalised.
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill made no effort to hide his interest in signing up Oxlade-Chamberlain this week, saying: “[I] spoke to him. I’m sure he’ll have lots of options, maybe closer to London as well too, but he was very affable.
“I would be very interested in doing it. He was telling me he has been training with Arsenal for quite some considerable time. So in terms of fitness, it’s not match fitness, but we’ll see. He’s got loads of options.
“I think he was very excited about what we were saying. [But] if it doesn’t materialise, it doesn’t materialise.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s time back at Arsenal was meant to have the dual benefit of helping him to get sharp whilst also taking advantage of his experience in football to mentor some of the Gunners’ current academy players.
There was briefly some talk that Arsenal might even want to sign up Oxlade-Chamberlain as a player, following the injury to Mikel Merino. But that was never the plan, and the club will be pleased to see they’ve helped him secure a contract elsewhere.