Arsenal’s wild swaying between disaster and catastrophe has been, arguably, the biggest talking in English football over the course of the past few weeks. The Gunners’ humbling Champions League double-header against Bayern Munich has bookended the recent developments: Arsene Wenger’s future remains unresolved, while Alexis Sanchez appears certain to leave as his rabid need to win continues to widen the gap between himself and the club.

While both of these factors are causing worry among supporters, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s situation has moved somewhat under the radar, but his reported desire to leave the club should be a real reason for concern.

One could argue that ‘The Ox’ hasn’t truly fulfilled the potential that made him a teen prodigy at Southampton and earned him a move to Arsenal at just the age of 17, but has he truly been given a chance? Even though he’s now approaching 24, a Premier League season has not ended with Oxlade-Chamberlain breaking the 25 games played mark. Given he’s entering his prime years and has been capped by his nation 24 times, that is damning. Granted he’s not always shown the consistency to keep himself in Wenger’s plans, but that trait is associated with youth and is one the Frenchman would have been aware of upon plucking him from Hampshire as a promising youngster.

A move makes sense for all involved. A clean break is needed for the player, while Arsenal’s transition this summer means they will likely recruit world class players who could fill Oxlade-Chamberlain’s boots, further diluting his game time. A change of scenery and a manager to harness his talents is essential, and once the dots are joined, the picture produced looks like Liverpool.

Interestingly the attacking midfielder’s last outing in league action came at the Reds’ Anfield home and while a host of Gunners players failed to impress on the banks of the River Mersey, Oxlade-Chamberlain put on the sort of audition that may have had Jurgen Klopp itching his beard.

Like the player, Liverpool are at something of a crossroads. If Klopp is eager to proceed with his striker-less 4-3-3 system he needs raw numbers from his trio of attackers, which Roberto Firmino and, to an even greater extent, Sadio Mane have been producing. Philippe Coutinho, on the other hand, is some way below his team-mates in terms of putting the ball in the net, making a move back down the pitch into a central midfield role look more and more appealing as the weeks pass.

As the above numbers show, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s Anfield outing hinted that he could slot in on the left-hand side of this Liverpool triumvirate. Six dribbles attempted was a greater quantity than any of the Reds’ front three, as was his four completed dribbles, while his 91% pass success was also a superior score.

There are arguments surrounding his end product, nine league goals scored since the start of 2011/12 does little to dispel this, but as his prime years come it would not be unusual if his composure increases due to his increased experience.

More interesting, though, is the impact Klopp could have on his game. A proven track record with attacking midfielders such as Shinji Kagawa, Mario Gotze and Jakub Blaszczykowski in his Dortmund days is encouraging, while Adam Lallana’s conversion to being an effective No.8 shows that touch remains as effective as ever. All of these players have positional flexibility and genuine footballing intelligence in common, which brings Oxlade-Chamberlain into the mix. While there are drawbacks in his game right now, his ability to slot into positions and go about his business in an effective manner should not be in doubt, so this malleable nature under a coach willing to adapt his gameplan and approach to work with the players he has is intriguing.

Maybe all Oxlade-Chamberlain needs is the attention of a manager who knows how to maximise his qualities and minimise the areas of deficiency in his game, which Klopp, on paper at least, seems well-suited to doing.

This summer is a pivotal one for ‘The Ox’ and the right decision could alter the trajectory of his career. Liverpool may be the ideal next destination for him.

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