Sheffield United ready Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain action | OneFootball

The Blades are set to make an ambitious move for former Arsenal and Liverpool player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Sheffield United look set to table an imminent offer for former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

According to Turkish outlet Milliyet, they have revealed an update on the Blades’ pursuit of the 31-year-old, revealing that the Yorkshire outfit are expected to soon make an offer to secure his services.

Chris Wilder’s outfit are searching to bolster their squad heading into the second half of the Championship season, aiming to have enough quality in their ranks to overtake Leeds United and Burnley who currently occupy the automatic promotion places.

With fresh investment and ideas coming after the takeover from US-based COH Sports, the Yorkshire outfit is in a much better financial place to target lucrative deals, which could be the difference maker in making an immediate return to the Premier League.

It will be interesting to see where Oxlade-Chamberlain’s future lies heading into the remainder of January, but Sheffield United are currently the frontrunners for his signature.

As per the report from Milliyet, Sheffield United are keeping tabs on Oxlade-Chamberlain, with an offer expected to be placed before the end of the window as they look to secure a deal for the attacking midfielder.

It’s claimed the Blades are keen on exploring a loan deal for the Besiktas player until the end of the season, and there currently aren’t any plans in place to make it a permanent move in the summer.

Besiktas are keen to offload the former Liverpool player after he has hardly figured in Istanbul during this campaign. Oxlade-Chamberlain had made 20 league appearances the season prior and is under contract until June 2026.

Sheffield United appear keen to take advantage of the unravelling situation, but they are expected to face competition from French side Nantes, who are also in the hunt to lure the 31-year-old away.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a high-risk, high-reward signing

Oxlade-Chamberlain undoubtedly has the previous pedigree to prove he can be a top-class talent on his day, but too many injuries have disrupted such a promising career.

With a lack of stability currently, he has unexpectedly found himself falling down the pecking order in Turkey, so a move back to his homeland may be what is needed to help settle him down and begin to play his best football again.

At 31, there’s still enough years ahead of him to shine at the top of the English game, and he would definitely play a key role in getting the Blades back into the big time. An injection of confidence back into his game would see him be one of the standout stars in the Championship.

However, given his name and the previous clubs he’s played for, you would expect the Portsmouth-born man to demand relatively high wages for a second tier club to pay, and with the risk of further long-term layoffs, Sheffield United could be paying a significant chunk of their budget for someone constantly on the treatment table.

The Blades must be fully confident that they can get Oxlade-Chamberlain regularly playing for the remainder of this season without any disruptions, otherwise this gamble could be a waste of important finances.