Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that it would be a ‘fairytale signing’ if Southampton could pull off a transfer for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Earlier this month, it was reported by reliable source Fabrizio Romano that the Liverpool midfielder will most likely leave the Premier League club this summer when his contract expires – as there are currently no talks regarding a possible extension.
If Oxlade-Chamberlain is to leave, it sounds as though Southampton are a likely destination, having recently been linked with a move for the Englishman in the media.
Of course, the midfielder came through the south coast club as a youngster and so he may be keen to return to his former team for the next chapter of his career.
While speaking about this possibility, O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “It would be a fairytale signing I think for Southampton, if they were to bring back Oxlade-Chamberlain who came through their successful youth academy.
“He was a big player for them, before selling them on to Arsenal and then eventually Liverpool signing him from Arsenal as well.“
TIF thoughts on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Southampton…
Oxlade-Chamberlain left Southampton all the way back in 2011, joining Arsenal when he was still only 17 years of age, and earning his former team a reported £15m.
If he was to join in the summer, the Saints could pick him up for free. However, new manager Nathan Jones may push for a deal this January and even then the 29-year-old would surely cost a fraction of what he was originally sold for.
Injuries have plagued Oxlade-Chamberlain’s time with Liverpool and possibly stopped him from ever quite reaching the full potential – which he promised in glimpses as a teenager at Southampton – but he has still won the Champions League, the Premier League and multiple other major trophies across his career.
If he can stay fit, he could prove to be a very good piece of business for the Saints. It’ll be interesting to see if they think this possible ‘fairytale signing’ is worth pursuing.