Liverpool could use Oxlade-Chamberlain as Aston Villa carrot in Douglas Luiz pursuit – report
Liverpool could offer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a swap deal for the Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, according to the Express.
Jurgen Klopp’s side battled Arsenal in the final days of the summer transfer window for the Villa midfielder’s signature; neither were successful in completing a move.
Stubborn Steven Gerrard stood firm, reiterating the fact that Luiz was not for sale under any circumstance, fighting off a final third £25million bid from Arsenal in the final hours of deadline day. [Sky Sports].
However, the Reds may be able to tempt Gerrard and Villa into a switch by offering the services of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, giving them the upper hand over Arsenal.
When fit, Oxlade-Chamberlain can be a useful weapon in any Premier League side and would add firepower to the Villans’ star-studded engine room.
A risk worth taking
Oxlade-Chamberlain has struggled for game time under Jurgen Klopp, so a move away from Anfield would be the perfect solution for all parties involved.
Despite popular belief, the 29-year-old midfielder kept fit for the majority of Liverpool’s 2021/2022 campaign but wasn’t used by Klopp.
In Gerrard, the midfielder has a boss under who he can truly thrive, regaining some much-needed confidence that limited game time at Anfield has depleted him of.
He also has praised the Villa boss in the past, admitting that he “always wanted to be Steven Gerrard” in a 2017 interview. [Mirror].
Despite big names like Phillippe Coutinho and Emi Buendía in the Villa midfield, the team looks to be lacking creative spark and attacking drive; a fit and ready Oxlade-Chamberlain can provide this.
Now, the key word there is “fit”, any swap deal for the 35-cap former England international and Douglas Luiz will largely come down to him proving he can be match ready.
All in all, it’s a risk worth taking for Villa, they would get a player who on his day is arguably better than Luiz and under the tutorage of Gerrard could blossom.
In other Aston Villa news, Douglas Luiz could triple wages by leaving the club.