Aston Villa are reportedly on the verge of completing a free transfer swoop for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but there are conflicting reports on the touted situation.
The 29-year-old joined the Reds in 2017 following spells at Arsenal and Southampton, and has since gone on to make 146 appearances for the club, scoring 18 goals and providing 15 assists.
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However, he was limited to just 13 appearances last season due to a combination of injury problems and competition for places, and with his contract set to expire this summer, he’s expected to move on from Anfield.
According to talkSPORT, Villa are ‘set to complete’ his signing on a free transfer at the end of the month, with the club confirming in an official statement on Saturday that a deal has been agreed for the arrival of Youri Tielemans as a free agent on July 1.
Time will tell if Oxlade-Chamberlain follows suit in the coming days and weeks, but it will likely be a decision that splits opinion given his fitness struggles and limited role in recent years.
That said, if he can stay fit, he could be a useful addition to the squad to add competition and depth as well as versatility, as Unai Emery looks to assemble a group capable of competing on multiple fronts.
In contrast to the report above though, the Athletic’s Gregg Evans has noted that Villa are not close to signing Oxlade-Chamberlain and that there is ‘nothing in the reports’ at this stage.
Time will tell who proves to be right on this one, but the expectation is that Villa are now set to ramp up our transfer activity as we look to strengthen the squad with key signings.
Tielemans will hopefully prove to be a valuable addition as Emery looks to get him back to his best, but it remains to be seen who joins him at the club with the transfer window set to officially open next week, with many perhaps hoping for more ambitious moves for talented, younger players than Oxlade-Chamberlain.
