Former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed he is targeting a move to an English club.
The 32-year-old is currently a free agent after his contract was terminated by Besiktas in August.
Oxlade-Chamberlain, who joined Arsenal in a £15 million deal from Southampton in 2011, has been training with the Gunners’ Under-21s in order to maintain his fitness.
‘If we can help him, if we can give him the space for him to get up to speed and have the capacity to find a club, it is a joy,’ Mikel Arteta said this week.
‘The boys will learn from it. I had the privilege to play with him, and if he is around, he will be a really good role model to have around the team.’
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Speaking about his situation on Ben Foster’s podcast, Oxlade-Chamberlain said: ‘It’s a different situation for me to be in. I had it when I came out of Liverpool, and obviously I was a free agent, saw my contract out there. I had it for a month or two but then the season kicked off and I signed in Turkey, I think 14th of August. So, it wasn’t too long. It wasn’t like now.
‘Now is obviously the season’s well and truly underway and it’s that awkward bit of waiting of like you’re missing out and you want to be playing, so it’s different.
‘It’s a it’s not a nice situation for any footballer to be in. I’m fortunate enough that I’ve put myself in the situation where I can choose what’s best for me and I’ve said no to things, there’s more in play now, family, children, be a bit more selective, ultimately the whole thing is you want to get back playing and going again as soon as possible.
‘There’s obviously stuff you can do to be proactive yourself and maybe find opportunities or let people know you be open to opportunities, but yeah, ultimately you’re sat there, it’s out of your control, right? You’re sat waiting for a call or for a team to decide they need you or that you can bring value. It’s just a lot of waiting around.’
Asked if he has received offers, Oxlade-Chamberlain replied: ‘Yeah, but to be fair, the majority of them have been in Europe away from home.
‘For me, I’ve did two years away, which I found difficult on a family level. I was going six weeks, eight weeks without seeing my son, my missus, mum and dad, they didn’t even get a look in because if I ever come back for a day or two, it would be seeing them, seeing him, that was difficult.
‘So, I just knew I don’t want to do that again. I want to be back in England. And it’s just waiting for the right thing to pop up back here or close enough that that makes sense for a family thing.
‘I think once you have children it changes things. It’s not all just about me now and completely about football. It needs to suit that as well.
‘I’ve had offers and I’ve had to say no to them because it wasn’t right for me and for us. So then your pool comes down to, you know, you’re saying, I want to be here. Then it’s just waiting for the right thing, the right project, something I can be excited about, to go into and hit the ground running hopefully.’
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