Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is ready to exploit Arsenal’s contract stand off with winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, reports the Sun on Sunday.
Guardiola it supposed to be a huge admirer of the England international having reportedly tried to sign the young wideman in the summer.
And it is believed that City will make a £25m move for Oxlade-Chamberlain in January, despite Gunners boss Arsene Wenger issuing a stern hands-off warning for the winger.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has just 18 months left to run on his current deal at the Emirates Stadium and Arsenal are keen to prolong the 23-year-old’s stay in north London.
With two goals and four assists to his name, Oxlade-Chamberlain looks set to finally make his mark for Arsenal, with injuries and inconsistency often limiting his impact for the Gunners.
It’s thought that the player will assess his options next month, which could mean a move away from Arsenal, and that has alerted City to his potential availability.
The path from Arsenal to City, who face off at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, is a well trodden one, with Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor and Bacary Sagna all making the move from London to Manchester in the past.
Wenger is keen to keep Oxlade-Chamberlain, but know his value could drop significantly if he opts against penning a new deal and run the risk of losing the Englishman on a free in 2018.
For more stats on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, click here to view his WhoScored player page
