Chelsea will reportedly make a move for Arsenal ace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this month, with Antonio Conte planning to convert him into a right wing-back.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has just 12 months remaining on his current contract with the Gunners, leading to speculation over his future and a possible exit this summer.
According to The Express, the 23-year-old even rejected an offer last month to plunge his future into major doubt, and Chelsea are ready to swoop in with a bid of £25m to convince Arsenal to sell now.
The England international had his best season at Arsenal last year, steering clear of injuries and showcasing his quality and flexibility to emerge as one of the side’s top players on a consistent basis.
However, he still only managed to make 16 Premier League starts last year, and that strengthens the idea that he wants to leave in order to gain more playing time as an established starter.
Whether he’ll get that at Arsenal this coming campaign remains to be seen, but Chelsea boss Conte wants him now in order to bolster his Chelsea squad which still needs a top right wing-back to provide competition for Victor Moses.
It’s noted that Conte specifically wants to convert Oxlade-Chamberlain into a right wing-back, and after enjoying some success in that role last season, he’ll undoubtedly be able to a do a job for the Premier League champions if he opted to move to Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal will be desperate to see him stay and sign a new deal, but they may well have left it too late to avoid giants like Chelsea now swooping for their top players.