Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ‘massively influential’ but little-known rule risks immediate Celtic disappointment

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is not like different free brokers seeking to return to top-level European soccer – he nonetheless has loads left within the tank.

That’s the opinion of European soccer skilled Andy Brassell, who believes the ex-England star can develop into an on the spot hit at Celtic.

Hoops supervisor Martin O’Neill confirmed earlier this week that he has held talks with Oxlade-Chamberlain over a transfer to Scotland.

The 32-year-old is a free agent after leaving Besiktas final summer time, so he’s obtainable to hitch a brand new membership exterior the switch window.

Nonetheless, Oxlade-Chamberlain will must be signed earlier than Friday ought to he want to play for his new staff in Europe this season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain in race in opposition to time to hitch Celtic amid UEFA deadline

The Hoops are mentioned to be in superior talks with the 35-cap England worldwide over finishing the transfer to Glasgow.

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Whereas he may show massively influential in Celtic’s bid to overtake Hearts’ six-point lead within the Scottish Premiership, he might not have the ability to function of their upcoming Europa League play-off ties in opposition to Stuttgart.

Celtic have till 11pm on Thursday evening to register new eligible gamers for the knockout video games, which embrace the play-offs.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s final look at senior stage was an 11-minute cameo within the Turkish large’s win over Adana Demirspor in Might 2025.

The midfielder has since stored up his health by coaching with Arsenal, having spent six years on the membership in his early profession.

Oxlade-Chamberlain performed for the Gunners’ U21s in a behind-closed-doors pleasant in opposition to Manchester United in December.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta even refused to rule out a transfer for his former teammate after Mikel Merino sustained a damaged foot.

A number of of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s previous England buddies equally face a problem of returning to elite soccer following a protracted layoff.

Jesse Lingard is a free agent after spending the previous two years enjoying in South Korea, whereas Raheem Sterling is with no membership following the termination of his contract with Chelsea.

In the meantime, Paul Pogba has managed simply half-hour throughout three substitute appearances at Monaco since making his comeback from his two-year medication ban in November.

The previous Man United famous person has since missed the final 9 video games in all competitions with a calf damage.

Nonetheless, soccer skilled Brassell advised talkSPORT.com that Celtic should not be frightened of Oxlade-Chamberlain struggling the same destiny.

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‘He could be massively influential for Celtic fairly rapidly’

“Oxlade-Chamberlain has been a viable first-team participant extra not too long ago,” he argued in distinction to different notable free brokers.

“A part of the rationale he acquired shifted from Besiktas was as a result of it wasn’t the perfect private state of affairs for him, with clearly his household staying at dwelling.

“It was additionally the truth that Besiktas had fallen effectively, effectively in need of expectations during the last couple of years, having spent some huge cash and having spent a good bit of cash on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s wages, in fact.

“I noticed him a few instances on the market within the flesh within the Turkish Tremendous League, and I feel it is clear that he is nonetheless an enormous participant in there.

“I feel he can get to a stage the place he could be massively influential for Celtic fairly rapidly. And that’s the large distinction, I feel, between him and Dele [Alli] and Pogba.”

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Ex-Arsenal and Liverpool man Oxlade-Chamberlain spent two seasons within the Turkish Tremendous Lig in his first enterprise overseas.

The Englishman made 30 first-team appearances throughout his maiden marketing campaign and helped Besiktas win the Turkish Cup.

That trophy triumph earned the membership a spot within the Europa League for final season earlier than being frozen out of the staff by then-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who’s now Arne Slot’s assistant at Anfield.

Oxlade-Chamberlain performed beneath 9 managers in his 24 months in Turkey, together with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with none lasting greater than 20 video games.

“Even after he was deposed from the primary staff the primary time, he got here again and was actually influential,” Brassell added.

“You suppose when Solskjaer first got here in, he was an enormous participant for him then. He influenced massive video games.

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Besiktas fallout ‘not Oxlade-Chamberlain’s fault’

“He scored the winner in opposition to Fenerbahce, and he was somebody who may nonetheless run all day, he may nonetheless cowl various midfield positions, he is nonetheless acquired nice craft.

“So for me, for him to take the leap to the place he is an influential participant isn’t that a lot of a leap over again.

“A variety of the rationale it did not work for him at Besiktas was circumstantial, and he was seen actually as an emblem of a regime gone incorrect, of a switch coverage gone incorrect. None of that was actually his fault.

“He was forged out as a result of swiftly, they weren’t ready to be chasing trophies, and he was nonetheless getting paid some huge cash.

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“In order that they wanted to maneuver him on from there. So a variety of the place he fell in need of Besiktas was not his fault.

“He nonetheless carried out creditably in very, very troublesome conditions in some instances. The final time I noticed him play within the flesh, they had been getting crushed 5-0 at dwelling by a Membership Brugge within the Europa League.

“And he nonetheless performed very well. He nonetheless had a very good affect on that recreation although the staff was a shambles.

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“He was diligent, hard-working, there was nonetheless loads of high quality there. However he was simply in a state of affairs the place, having been in golf equipment that had been contending for stuff all his life, swiftly, he was on this utterly dysfunctional state of affairs the place there was solely a restricted quantity that he may do.

“So I really feel there’s loads left within the Oxlade-Chamberlain tank.”