Liverpool look set to keep hold of midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain beyond this summer, following a new transfer report which has emerged.
The Lowdown: Future up in the air
The 28-year-old endured a frustrating 2021/22 season for the Reds, only starting nine Premier League matches and not featuring at all after March.
Recent rumours have suggested that Oxlade-Chamberlain could leave Liverpool this summer, with his current deal expiring at the end of next season.
However, a new update suggests that the Englishman might not be on his way out of Anfield just yet.
The Latest: Liverpool want to keep him
According to The Liverpool Echo, the Reds 'have no plans to sell' Oxlade-Chamberlain, instead looking to retain his services for at least another year.
It is stated that 'Anfield insiders' are claiming as much, with the club seemingly performing a U-turn in their stance on their player after recent reports suggested that the Merseysiders would allow him to leave if a satisfactory offer came in.
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The Verdict: Time to leave instead?
Oxlade-Chamberlain's Liverpool career has had plenty of positive notes - he has been described as 'very valuable' by Jurgen Klopp and enjoyed some big-game goals in his first season at the club - but this update still comes as a surprise.
It could suggest that the Reds won't be signing another midfielder this summer, but considering that they could lose the 28-year-old on a free transfer next summer rather than receiving a hefty sum for him this time around, moving him on in the next few weeks could make more sense.
The idea of Oxlade-Chamberlain staying certainly isn't a disaster - far from it - but he will surely have to accept being a bit-part player in 2022/23, having drifted behind the likes of Fabinho, Thiago, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott in the pecking order.
In other news, a contract claim has emerged regarding one Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.