Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger issues reminder to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as Chelsea prepare £35m bid: 'We've invested time and money'

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reminded Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of his responsibility to the club amid increased interest from Chelsea. 

Oxlade-Chamberlain is in the final year of his current contract, and Chelsea are expected to make a fresh £35million bid for the England international having had a £25m offer rejected.

Ahead of this weekend's trip to Liverpool, Wenger was in bullish mood at his press conference on Thursday, calling on Oxlade-Chamberlain to commit to the Gunners.  

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reminded Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of his duties

Wenger spoke of the investment in time and money placed in Oxlade-Chamberlain

He said: 'I want to keep my best players - my only target is to keep everyone on board. We've invested time and money and confidence on players like Ox and they have a responsibility. I hope he commits.

'I want him to stay at the club and be one of the big players of the future. He is one of the players we want to build around in the future. He will be a big player in this country.  

'I've had to deal with big departures many times, and I always focus on the team and Arsenal. Of course you want to keep your best players, but you have to find a way to survive. 

'I know every bid that we have, of course, but I think the best for us right now is to focus on Sunday's game.' 

The Frenchman wants to build his team around talented players such as Oxlade-Chamberlain

Wenger also had words of support for Jack Wilshere, who was recently sent off for the reserves

Oxlade-Chamberlain is to hold talks with the club, with the player understood to be frustrated at his current amount of game time at the Emirates Stadium. 

The 24-year-old may not be the only player in need of reassurances over his role after Jack Wilshere was sent off during the club's reserve-team victory over Manchester City this week.

Wenger defended the midfielder's reaction to the challenge from Matthew Smith, describing it as a 'human reaction', and the Frenchman added: 'You know how much I love Jack. 

'What is at stake is not his quality, talent or determination, it's his consistent presence at the top.'