Liverpool journalist Dan Morgan has been sharing his thoughts on Reds midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and his future at Anfield.
This comes after Morgan recently made an appearance on the Liverpool Echo’s Blood Red Podcast to talk about a range of topics related to the Merseyside club.
On the subject of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Morgan shared his thoughts on the Englishman.
He said: “I’ve been really surprised by just how many people have said they would dispose of Oxlade-Chamberlain and have also intimated that he had a bad season. He came back from a horrific, almost career-threatening injury and I think that’s been really unfair on him.
“I think in that context, he actually had a really good season. He was the highest scorer outside of the front three, he was asked to do jobs in different places and worked hard for the team and he didn’t look out of place in the team. He knows where the press is, he knows where to be when the ball breaks down in that Jurgen Klopp-type mould, so that hasn’t left him.
“For a comeback season from [what was] a horrific injury, I think it’s been really unfair to him, so I’m excited for Ox, I think he’s got a big season ahead of him and I think that that maturity he’s got from coming back and being part of the squad again after not being part of the squad that won the Champions League, really, and to be part of the squad that won the Premier League, I think his confidence will be up.”
Liverpool signed Oxlade-Chamberlain back in the 2017 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League side Arsenal for a fee of £34.2 million.
Since then, the 27-year-old has gone on to make a total of 87 appearances for the Reds across all competitions in which he has managed to score 13 goals and provide 10 assists along the way.
However, as Morgan mentioned in the podcast, the midfielder, who is now valued at £25.2 million (as per Transfermarkt), has had his fair share of injury problems throughout his career.
The 2019/20 season saw Oxlade-Chamberlain make 30 league appearances for the Reds in which he earned himself a fairly underwhelming season rating of 6.63/10 (per WhoScored).
Will Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain be an important player for Liverpool next season?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts…
It’s nice to hear the confidence Morgan has in Oxlade-Chamberlain that he can become an important figure for Liverpool next season.
Hopefully, for the midfielder, and everyone else at the Merseyside club, Oxlade-Chamberlain can have an injury-free season to give him the best opportunity to make his mark in the squad.