Aston Villa emerge as leading contenders to sign Liverpool midfielder, Gerrard on ‘red alert’

Aston Villa are leading the race to sign Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer, according to bookmakers.

The 28-year-old has struggled for regular game time at Anfield this season, and has been limited to just nine starts in the Premier League, with a further eight appearances from the bench.

As such, speculation continues to mount over his future on Merseyside, with his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2023.

Last week, the Mirror reported that the Reds were willing to put Oxlade-Chamberlain up for sale in the coming months, with a fee of around £10 million touted.

The update also claimed that both Villa and West Ham had been put on “red alert” by the change in the player’s status, and the latest odds would suggest that the bookies believe Steven Gerrard could raid his old club to take the former Arsenal man to Villa Park.

At the time of writing, Villa are priced at just 3/1 to complete a deal for Oxlade-Chamberlain, ahead of a whole host of Premier League sides.

Southampton, where the midfielder started his career, are priced at 5/1, alongside West Ham, while Crystal Palace are at 8/1.

Behind them, newly-promoted Bournemouth are at 10/1, with Fulham and Leicester City both at 12/1.

Leeds United are priced at 16/1, while a shock move across Stanley Park to Everton comes in at a relatively distant 25/1.

Oxlade-Chamberlain signed for Liverpool back in 2017, and has since gone on to make 133 appearances for the club.