Liverpool have opened talks with Arsenal over a move for utility player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The 24-year-old England international rejected a move to Chelsea on Tuesday after a £40m fee was agreed.
Oxlade-Chamberlain sees his future as a central midfielder and feels he is more likely to get that chance at Anfield.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool are prepared to match Chelsea’s offer for a player who would be available on a free transfer next summer.
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Oxlade-Chamberlain has started each of Arsenal’s four games so far this season despite telling manager Arsene Wenger he would not sign a new contract.
He was applauded warmly by the Liverpool fans after he was substituted during Arsenal’s 4-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday.
The midfielder has made 198 appearances for Arsenal since joining them from Southampton in August 2011.
Liverpool have been pursuing Monaco’s £75m-rated winger Thomas Lemar, but it is unlikely they would sign both players.
After rising to prominence with Southampton during the 2010–11 season aged 17, he signed for Arsenal in August 2011.
Scoring twice in his first three matches for the club, Oxlade-Chamberlain became the youngest English goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history and has also claimed a regular place in the England Under-21s team.
Fans have nicknamed Oxlade-Chamberlain “The Ox”, derived from the first part of his surname, as well as his physical tenacity and powerful playing style.
Oxlade-Chamberlain made his debut for the senior England team on 26 May 2012 in a 1–0 win against Norway in a friendly.
Following this, he received a surprise call-up to the England squad for UEFA Euro 2012, becoming the second youngest player ever to represent England in the European Championships behind Wayne Rooney.
