With Mikel Merino expected to miss the rest of the season with a fractured foot, Arsenal could make a sensational move for one of their former players.
The Spaniard chipped in with six goals and three assists in 33 games this term and will be a huge miss.
The Gunners are open to bringing in a new midfielder to enhance their squad, but options are limited with the transfer window shut.
Mikel Arteta must focus on the free agent market if he is to bolster their squad, with one player standing out above the rest.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain trains with Arsenal
Former Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been training at the club’s training ground since November.
The 32-year-old has been out of contract since August, following his departure from Turkish giants Besiktas.
Arteta and Oxlade-Chamberlain played together for five years at Arsenal, winning two FA Cup titles and two FA Community Shields.
He played 198 games for the Gunners in his six years at the club.
The Englishman scored 20 goals and registered 28 assists before eventually leaving to join Liverpool.
Since coming back to the club to stay fit, Oxlade-Chamberlain has featured once for the U21’s in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s Besiktas career
The English midfielder joined Besiktas on a three-year contract on 14 August 2023.
His career in Turkey was tumultuous, to say the least.
He missed four months of his first season after suffering a tear in his thigh muscle, although he returned to notch up four goals in 20 league appearances.
Ahead of the 2024/25 season, Oxlade-Chamberlain was frozen out of the squad by then-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
He didn’t feature for the club until the start of December and was left out of the UEFA Europa League squad for the group stages.
In his final season in Turkey, he played 18 league games and scored one goal.
In August 2025, they terminated his contract.
Would it make sense?
While Merino is out for the rest of the season, midfield sensation Max Dowman is also out for an extended period with an ankle injury.
Since breaking into the Arsenal first team, Dowman has been busy rewriting Arsenal history.
However, as Dowman becomes another notable absence in the Arsenal midfield, Arteta is going to need all the help he can get if they are to challenge on all fronts.
The Gunners are top of the Premier League and are prepared for the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds.
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Oxlade-Chamberlain knows what the club is about and has experience of winning the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool.
However, Sky Sports report that Celtic are also interested in securing his services, so the Gunners may need to move quickly to sort out a deal.
What Arteta said about Merino’s injury
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea, Arteta said, “We explore every option.”
“When you lose a big player like this [Merino] in the squad with four months to go and all the competitions to play for, you need to look.”
“At this level, especially for four months, you have to bring a player who has the capacity to adapt immediately and impact the team.”
A decision needs to happen
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first deadline to find a new club is Thursday, February 5th, according to the Mirror’s Tom Canton.
Luckily for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arsenal have 21 of their 25 spots taken, giving him a chance to feature.
Will the Englishman sign for the Gunners on a short-term loan deal until the end of the season? Time will tell.