Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Chelsea: Blues believe they will sign Arsenal star for £35m

CHELSEA are growing increasingly confident they will sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal for around £35million.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain reminisces over Arsenal signing

Oxlade-Chamberlain is in the last year of his contract at Arsenal and is considering his future.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte wants Oxlade-Chamberlain as one of four more signings at Stamford Bridge.

And according to the London Evening Standard, Chelsea have not yet agreed a fee with Arsenal but negotiations are ongoing and the Blues have received enough encouragement to believe a deal is possible.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has ruled out selling Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud before the 11pm deadline on August 31 but has given no guarantees over Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Wenger would prefer to keep the versatile 23-year-old, last week describing him as having the potential to become a “very great player”.

Chelsea transfer news: Alex Oxlade-ChamberlainGETTY

Chelsea transfer news: Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a target for Antonio Conte

But with Wenger facing the prospect of losing Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanchez and Mesut Ozil all for free next summer, he could cash in on the former.

Oxlade-Chamberlain - nicknamed ‘The Ox’ - played in the left-wing back role during Arsenal’s 4-3 win over Leicester on Friday night.

He has also been used as a right-wing back in Wenger’s new 3-4-3 formation, as a winger in his other systems and as a central midfielder.

Both Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wenger believe his long-term future is in central midfield and he has been training in that position with England.

But since his move to Arsenal in 2011 a series of injuries and inconsistency have meant he has struggled to hold down one place under Wenger.

Chelsea transfer news: Alex Oxlade-ChamberlainGETTY

Chelsea transfer news: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is in the last year of his contract

And when everyone is fit he may not make Wenger’s first-choice line-up, a worrying proposition for the player in a season ahead of the World Cup in Russia next summer.

Liverpool and Manchester City are also interested in Oxlade-Chamberlain but Conte is ready to offer him the right-wing back role at Chelsea ahead of Victor Moses.

It is thought Wenger would go with Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinic on the flanks at Arsenal this season.

Talks between Arsenal and Oxlade-Chamberlain over a new contract have stalled and the London Evening Standard say Wenger is considering a sale.

Wenger wants to trim the first-team squad this month, with 33 players on their books, but they have so far only sold one senior player in Wojciech Szczesny to Juventus for £14m.

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