Liverpool told Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain buyer ‘getting hell of a player’ – pundit
Noel Whelan has admitted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s injury record could make it difficult for Liverpool to strike a transfer deal this summer.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Leeds striker suggested the 28-year-old’s wage demands may prove too much for some clubs to “take a chance” on him.
The Mirror (25 May) claim Liverpool have put the midfielder up for sale this summer, with a £10million-plus asking price on his head.
Whelan insisted Oxlade-Chamberlain is a “fantastic player” with plenty of time left at the top of his game.
However, he admitted the England international’s long list of injury problems and the eight-figure price tag could turn suitors away.
Whelan told Football Insider’s Russell Edge: “He’s a smashing player. Looks like somebody that’s really easy to manage as well in the changing room and on the training ground.
“Somebody that gives 100 per cent commitment on either side, playing and training. You see the relationship that Jurgen Klopp’s had with him since the day he arrived at the club.
“Like Origi, two fantastic players, very experienced. We know what they’re capable of doing on their day and at 28 Oxlade-Chamberlain is still in his prime. You’ve still got another good four years left in him.
“The only issue is can you keep him fit, continuously, throughout a season to get the benefit out of the money you’re paying? Look £10million is not a lot. Obviously, you’ve got his wages on top of that, which I’m sure will be quite large for some teams to deal with.
“But if anyone’s willing to take a chance on Oxlade-Chamberlain, you’re getting a hell of a player for four years.”
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