18-goal ex-Liverpool and Arsenal midfielder set to join Turkish giants

Former Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has received an offer to join Turkish giants Besiktas following his release at the end of last season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, 29, was signed by Jurgen Klopp in 2017 for a fee around £35m and he went onto play 146 times for the club, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

Despite having competed in the Premier League since his academy breakthrough at Southampton in 2011, he could be set to pack his bags and move to the Turkish Süper Lig for a new challenge. That’s according to BBC Sport.

Seemingly, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been offered a two-year deal with the option of a third but he has also received interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League. There was also tentative links with the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Brighton but nothing official was ever submitted.

The Turkish side finished third in the league last season and were eliminated from the Turkish Cup in the Round of 16 in an underwhelming campaign.

However, the club boasted two Merseyside connections as Cenk Tosun, the former Everton striker, scored 18 in all competitions. Dele Alli also spent the first half of the season on loan, but he failed to make an impact and saw that deal cut short.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of four midfielders to depart the club last summer, but the club also allowed forward Roberto Firmino to rund down his deal as he joined up with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia after eight years at the club.

Midfielders James Milner (Brighton) Naby Keita (Werder Bremen) and Arthur Melo (returned to Juventus following a dismal loan spell) all departed on a free transfer and Oxlade-Chamberlain is prime to do so next.

There are just four English players left in that league after Nathan Redmond agreed a deal to leave Besiktas to join Premier League-newcomers Burnley earlier in the window. Former Rangers winger Ryan Kent opted to join Fenerbache this summer which raised the total number of English players to four, and ‘the Ox’ is close to securing a deal to add to that list.