Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looks highly likely to leave the club this summer, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.
The Lowdown: Season to forget for Ox
While the Reds had a season to treasure, winning two trophies and pushing for a quadruple at one point, Oxlade-Chamberlain had a disappointing campaign on a personal level.
The 28-year-old's last appearance of 2021/22 came in March, against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, with Jurgen Klopp seemingly losing faith in him thereafter despite the Reds playing 16 matches during a hectic April and May.
With Oxlade-Chamberlain's current deal running out next summer, it could be that Liverpool cash in on him in the next few months.
[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-34/" title="Latest Liverpool transfer news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align=“none"]
The Latest: Journalist predicts Oxlade-Chamberlain exit
Speaking to GiveMeSport, O'Rourke admitted that he fully expects the midfielder to leave Liverpool this summer, five years after Klopp brought him to Anfield. The journalist reckons:
"It looks like this one’s going to be a natural parting of the ways. Oxlade-Chamberlain has just not really featured, I think, in the team since February time.
"It’s been a tough season for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who’s been fit for most of the season, but just can’t get into that team right now."
[freshpress-quiz id=“398089"]
The Verdict: Ideal time to leave
In truth, now feels like the perfect time for Liverpool and Oxlade-Chamberlain to part ways, given the manner in which his squad status has changed in recent months.
The Englishman turns 29 this summer and this will be the last chance for the Reds to earn a sizeable fee for him, with other clubs likely to see him as an asset given his impressive CV and vast Premier League experience.
Oxlade-Chamberlain's Liverpool career should be considered a success - he has been hailed as 'outstanding' by Klopp in the past and won five trophies with the Reds - but it is one which has fizzled out a little as time has moved on.
It's telling that, when discounting those who started less than two league games for Liverpool in 2021/22, the ex-Arsenal man was the second-lowest rated player as per WhoScored, a sure sign that the magic has faded.
In other news, a journalist has backed Liverpool's interest in one attacking player. Read more here.