Winger admitted on Sunday that he needs to play regular first-team football at the Emirates or face making a big decision
Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has admitted that he may have to consider his future at the Emirates, if the amount of game time he receives under Arsene Wenger doesn’t increase.
The 23-year-old, who left Southampton for north London in 2011, has not featured in more than 30 games in the Premier League, during his five full seasons at Arsenal. And despite having appeared six times in the league so far this campaign, just three of those appearances have been starts.
Oxlade-Chamberlain arrived in north London as one of the most highly-rated players in English football, but he has struggled to hold down a regular spot in Wenger’s side since.
But with the winger having not long ago turned 23, he now admits it’s time for him to push on and get the game time that he needs and demands.
“I’d be lying if I wasn’t going to sit here and say that it has crossed my mind that I need more game time. As a footballer, you want to play every game. Me being myself, I’m not happy when I’m not playing.” Oxlade-Chamberlain admitted.
“There is going to come a time in my career, and I think I’m approaching that, when I do need to be getting more regular football, but my focus completely and utterly now is on playing for Arsenal and still trying to break into the team when I get the opportunity. Help out if I have to come off the bench, do what I did yesterday and come on and make a difference.
“My sole aim for now is to help Arsenal and keep pushing myself to play in this team, because you know, I love playing at Arsenal. It’s a great club, it’s a great team and I’ve got a lot of faith in the team.
“There is that in my mind that I do want to get more game time. There comes a time in your career where you have to re-evaluate things and think, ‘Is that going to be here or elsewhere?’.
“I’m not there at the moment, I’m fully focused on this season, playing my part in that. When you get to the end of the season, just like managers do where they re-evaluate their team, players re-evaluate their personal situation, and I’ll do that at the end of the season’.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has netted once in the league this season; in the Gunners’ opening-day 4-3 defeat at home to Liverpool.
