Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain reveals playing position was key behind transfer from Arsenal to Liverpool
Midfielder became a key player at Anfield before his knee injury
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed that the main motivation behind his transfer from Arsenal to Anfield was concerns over his playing position.
The England international has repeatedly said that central midfield is his preferred role on the pitch, but he was rarely utilised there at his former club.
By contrast, since moving to the Gunners’ Premier League rivals, that has been his most regular role under Jurgen Klopp.
Oxlade-Chamberlain says that, rather than because Arsenal weren’t likely to win silverware, was his key consideration—despite the huge success his current club have had since then, while Arsenal have floundered.
“I wouldn’t say I wanted to leave Arsenal because I didn’t believe we could win,” he told Ian Wright.
“I just didn’t believe I was going to be able to play where I wanted to play and that was it.
“Me winning the Champions League was obviously a dream come true and a massive bonus but I didn’t feel like ‘Ah, I told you so’ [at Arsenal].”
The Reds became champions of Europe in 2019, just after Oxlade-Chamberlain had returned to fitness after a long-term knee injury—sustained en route to the Champions League final the season previous.
Liverpool have also gone on to win the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, and are well on their way to winning the Premier League title this season, with Oxlade-Chamberlain playing a regular role.
Even so, it was the prospect of playing in his best role which most enticed the No. 15 to change clubs, especially after starting his last campaign with Arsenal as a wing-back.
“It was a big decision for me to leave a club like Arsenal. It was everything I knew at the top level for seven years.
“When I had to make the decision to leave, it was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make and to be honest there was a part of me that didn’t know if it was the right thing.
“I feel a lot of my best performances for Arsenal came in midfield but I never played consistently in that position.
“The first game of that season I switched with Hector [Bellerin]. First game I played on the left [wing-back], he played on the right and second game we switched. I thought, ‘I’ve got to take the risk, I’ve got to take the chance. I don’t want to look back at the end and think I didn’t try.’”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has scored seven goals in 34 appearances for Liverpool in 2019/20, across seven different competitions.
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