Aston Villa will be amongst the Premier League clubs battling to sign Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer with the 28-year-old falling down the pecking order at Anfield.
Earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported that the Englishman is considering his future in Merseyside and now former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has backed the Villans to be amongst the clubs targeting Oxlade-Chamberlain's signature.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider it was revealed that Villa could be one of the teams in the race.
Speaking about the matter, Hutton said: “West Ham, Newcastle, Aston Villa, even the likes of Everton and Palace, all these teams are building for the future. They’re building something special as well and why would you not want to be part of that?
“He could be an integral cog for one of these teams moving forward. He’s still got a lot to give, plenty of time. The only question mark is the injuries."
The 28-year-old has been limited to just nine Premier League starts this term and it is hard to see his current position in the Liverpool pecking order improving.
Villa should sign Oxlade-Chamberlain
It is no secret that Villa boss Steven Gerrard is planning a major squad overhaul this summer with the Englishman set to take charge of his first summer transfer window in the West Midlands ahead of his first full season.
Recently, the Villans have been linked with a plethora of midfielders with the likes of Boubacar Kamara, Kalvin Phillips and Yves Bissouma all reported targets. Therefore, it is clearly an area of the pitch that Gerrard wants to strengthen significantly.
Out of the current crop of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Marvelous Nakamba and Jacob Ramsey, it could be argued that only the latter will be a long-term servant for the Villans in the middle of the park.
The 20-year-old has had a stellar breakthrough campaign this term making 32 Premier League appearances whilst scoring six goals and providing one assist.
Moreover, his manager is a strong admirer, having been a world-class midfielder, stating: "I want him to make his own headlines with his football. He is a top talent, I’m loving every moment of working with him."
However, adding experience to the midfield would be shrewd and Oxlade-Chamberlain certainly possesses that, having racked up 374 club appearances having won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup four times and the League Cup.
Labelled as both "brilliant" and "dynamite" by manager Jurgen Klopp, the £125k-per-week Englishman needs to get his career back on track with his spell at Liverpool proving largely unfruitful.
A 16-month absence following a serious knee injury certainly did not help his cause in attempting to secure his spot as a regular starter for the Reds.
With bags of Premier League and Champions League experience whilst playing for England 35 times, the 28-year-old possesses the sort of pedigree that Gerrard wants to integrate into his squad and would make an excellent signing for the Villans. Just imagine him alongside the bustling Ramsey.