Explained: Why Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is training with Arsenal
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain trained with Arsenal on Monday.
The former Gunners midfielder was a surprise at the club’s London Colney training ground.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is a free agent after his stint in Türkiye with Beskitas ended with a mutual termination of his contract.
However, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s use of Arsenal’s training facilities is only to find a new club elsewhere.
Arsène Wenger often hosted former players at Arsenal’s training ground to keep them fit before signing for another club.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta now continues that tradition with Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is expected to train primarily with Arsenal’s younger age groups as the first team prepare to face Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Oxlade-Chamberlain spent six years at Arsenal after signing in 2011 from Southampton. He made 200 appearances for the club and became an England international, winning 35 caps and scoring seven goals for his country.
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He then spent six years at Liverpool, where he won the Premier League in 2020, although his year was cut short by injury.
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s time with Besiktas was hampered by injury, and this summer, with a year remaining on his contract, he agreed to mutually cancel the deal.
Beskitas, who were managed by former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, said they paid him £1.5 million ($2 million) to end the deal.
Reporting from ESPN’s James Olley contributed to this story.