Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will head back to north London with a spring in his step on Friday evening.

After being slowly introduced to the Liverpool team by Jurgen Klopp following his arrival at Anfield in the summer, the former Arsenal midfielder has begun to play more and more for the Reds, and was named man of the match in the recent win over Bournemouth .

Whether or not that means he'll start at the Emirates on Friday evening remains to be seen, but as our friends at football.london have been discovering, he's certainly been a name on the lips of both Arsene Wenger and Klopp ahead of the game.

There's only been one subject on the minds of these two (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)
All eyes will be on Oxlade-Chamberlain (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

Here's everything they've been saying about him at their press conferences.

Wenger on Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving

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“I didn’t want him to go. I offered him a contract to stay, but in the end he decided to go and we just had to try and get the best possible price.

“Look, he had one year to go. At start of the season we had four players with one year to go and I wanted him to extend his contract.

"Yes, he decided to go and we respect that. But at the end of the day I decided to sell one [of the four]."

Wenger's dig at Oxlade-Chamberlain

Wenger's words might resonate with the Liverpool man (
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Getty Images Europe)

"What do you want to be, a big player and not have to fight?

“You can’t be a big player, sit in your rocking chair and say, ‘I do not want to fight.’ It doesn’t work like that. Every player has to fight.

“I am convinced it is an important part of being a top player.”

Wenger on the reception home fans will give Ox lade-Chamberlain

The Gunners supporters will be prepared for the visit of their old boy (
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PA)

“I don’t know. I rate Alex highly and he knows that.

"After that, you want all the players to be respected who have played for us .”

Klopp on 'wonderful package' Oxlade-Chamberlain

The German gives his newest midfielder a hug (
Image:
REUTERS)

"He is on a very good way. I like it, but he has so much potential it's unbelievable, what he still not shows.

"It's only just the beginning and I really like it, I really like it. He's like a wonderful package, I can only say.

"Hopefully he stays fit, that's the most important thing. He can be much more decisive in a few moments. [He's sometimes a] little bit too much of a midfielder instead of a striker - there are a lot of things he can improve, but I'm really happy about the status quo."

Klopp suggests Oxlade-Chamberlain's talent was not used correctly at Arsenal

Klopp keeps an eye on a man he'd sign just days after this game (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

"I think the biggest improvement, or the biggest potential he still has, is really being involved in goalscoring situations, because he has it in himself.

"It is unbelievable. But he was not asked for this too much I think in the past.

"If you watched Arsenal in the past, the two decisive players were (Alexis) Sanchez and (Mesut) Ozil. In a lot of moments, the decisive passes, Ozil or Sanchez. Or (Olivier) Giroud when he is coming on the pitch. Then you are not that much involved.

"Here, we put it on much more shoulders, and if he's on the pitch he needs to be involved in situations like this."

And Oxlade-Chamberlain himself, on his return to the Emirates

Oxlade-Chamberlain scored on his last trip to London with Liverpool, at West Ham (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

“It will be a special occasion for me, full of emotion I’m sure.

“We’re in good form and we’ll be going there full of confidence and looking for three points.

“I hope we can put together a good performance, fight all the way through the game and come out with the right result.”

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