Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain jets in to sign Celtic contract as crucial compromise struck
Celtic’s move to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be sealed and confirmed within the next few hours.
Martin O’Neill is continuing to try to add to his squad after the transfer deadline earlier this week, with the former Liverpool midfielder a free agent after leaving Besiktas back in August.
Celtic are already in advanced talks to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain on a free transfer, as they bid to strengthen a midfield core that almost lost Arne Engels in the final stages of the window.
The Bhoys are desperately pushing for the Scottish Premiership title, and they also have a crucial Europa League tie to think about, but the deal has not been straightforward for them.
Celtic to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain as extension issue overcome
Celtic fans have been seething with the Oxlade-Chamberlain links of late, but they will have to come to terms with it quickly as the deal is now on the verge of going through.
Journalist Anthony Joseph has reported via his X account that the 32-year-old is due to travel to Glasgow on Friday to finalise his move to Celtic Park.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is due to sign an initial six-month deal with the Bhoys, which contains the option to automatically extend the contract by a further year.
The Glasgow giants have been in talks with the 32-year-old in recent days, and they have had to make a compromise in their negotiations in order to overcome a potentially crucial stumbling block.
The player’s representatives had been pushing to insert the extension clause as part of the deal, with Celtic seemingly reluctant to sanction that element of the deal, according to The Express.
That could have seen the agreement hit the rocks in the final stages, but it now seems inevitable that Oxlade-Chamberlain will soon become a Celtic player.
Oxlade-Chamberlain will not play in the Europa League
Celtic’s move to try and add Oxlade-Chamberlain is now entering its final stages, but it has come too late for him to feature in the biggest games of their season so far.
As Joseph reported, the deal to sign the former England international has not been completed in time for the Europa League’s squad registration deadline, which passed in the final hours of Thursday night.
That means that O’Neill will be unable to call upon the veteran’s services for the all-important play-off tie against Stuttgart later this month.
The 73-year-old can only make three changes to his group that were selected for the league phase of the competition, and with five winter additions already through the door, it will not have been an easy decision for him as to who he opted to include.