Report: Oxlade-Chamberlain rejects Arsenal's lucrative contract offer
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will soon inform Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain about whether he's allowed to leave the club after failing to get the disgruntled midfielder to sign a new £180,000-a-week contract, sources told Sky Sports on Friday.
The deal would've more than doubled Oxlade-Chamberlain's current wages and placed him as one of the club's highest earners.
But the 24-year-old is apparently unhappy about his role in Wenger's squad. Shunted out to the wing-back position in a 3-4-3, he's lobbied to play more in central midfield.
Because Oxlade-Chamberlain has fewer than 12 months remaining on his current deal, Wenger must decide whether to sell the player to a direct Premier League rival or risk losing him for nothing next summer.
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Wenger could still take the same stance on Oxlade-Chamberlain as he has with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, who've both been told they won't be sold this summer despite their expiring contracts.
But Sky's sources believe Chelsea and Liverpool are prepared to bid in excess of £30 million to tempt to the Gunners to sell the English international, who joined Arsenal from Southampton as a 17-year-old in 2011.
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has reportedly pushed hard to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose versatility is considered an asset to the Italian.
He made just 16 Premier League starts last season, racking up two goals and seven assists.