Arsene Wenger is furious with City’s proposed move
Pep Guardiola is hoping to land £25 million Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the January transfer window, to fill the void left by Ilkay Gundogan.
The Germany international is set for a long period on the sidelines after City’s summer signing tore cruciate knee ligaments in their 2-0 win over Watford on Wednesday.
And Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is understood to be furious that his counterpart is plotting a move for the 23-year-old, who has 18 months remaining on his contract.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has featured 14 times in the Premier League for Arsenal this campaign, scoring twice and producing four assists, and Guardiola is understood to be a big fan of the Englishman.
The Gunners star has made no secret of his desire to feature more regularly in Wenger’s team, and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of leaving the Emirates at the end of the season, if his fortunes at the club don’t change.
However, the City boss wants him to arrive in January so he can cover in Gundogan’s absence. But there are then no guarantees about his playing time once the German returns from injury and Guardiola’s plans for Oxlade-Chamberlain next season.
Arsenal have yet to open negotiations with Oxlade-Chamberlain, while his teammates Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are caught up in an ongoing contract saga, with Arsenal’s key men also having just 18 months remaining on their contracts.
It could, however, mean that the north London club are just simply prioritising sorting out deals for their two main men, and will deal with the 23-year-old’s own future at the end of the season.
