It just keeps getting worse for Arsenal as the club loses another player
After a 4-0 demolition at the hands of Liverpool, Arsenal were hit with another huge loss. Less than 24 hours after loaning Mustafi to Inter Milan, Arsenal have reportedly lost Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to rivals Chelsea, as per a report from SkySports.
Arsenal did their absolute best to keep ‘The Ox’, offering him a reported £180,000 a week wage. The player denied the offer, however, in search of a new club. This should be a huge wake up call to the Arsenal board.
In a time where money is supremely influential, Chamberlain declined an increase in earnings to be with a more prestigious club; a club that he hopes to win silverware at. Seeing the start that Arsenal has had seems to make this a great choice by Chamberlain. He may have to fight a bit more to get game time, but he will ultimately be at a better club.
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This is a great boost for a Chelsea team that has been getting a lot of flack in the media for having a thin squad. The amount of selling and loaning that the Blues have done this summer is a bit alarming, but the team is still brimming with high quality players. With reports of Danny Drinkwater joining the club in the next few days as well, Chelsea could quickly look a lot more menacing.
It will be interesting to see where Chamberlain fits in Conte’s team. He has played a variety of positions for Arsenal over the years but has recently been playing in a more central role. Conte could use him as a backup to Marcos Alonso as Chamberlain has played wing back under Wenger to good effect. He could also be used as an attacking substitution late in the game to relieve either Willian, Pedro or Hazard, throwing his pace and dribbling skill at already tired defenders. Regardless of the role he is used in, Chamberlain seems like a great player for Conte to have at his disposal.
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For Arsenal, it means they need to sign yet another player in the last two days of the transfer window. A high-caliber defender is a must, along with a replacement versatile midfielder. Finding those two players will be an expensive endeavor that it seems Arsenal has not been willing to take in the past few seasons. With the club taking on Bournemouth in their next Premier League match, something will need to be done to the squad to turn around their dreadful start to the season.