Mikel Arteta says it’s a joy to have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back at Arsenal as the previous Gunners star trains with the club again.
The England international has been and not using a club since leaving Besiktas in August but shouldn’t be heading into early retirement and is hoping to seek out recent employers.
The 32-year-old was pictured training with Arsenal’s youth team on Monday as the primary team prepare for a Champions League clash with Slavia Prague on Tuesday night.
Arteta and Oxlade-Chamberlain each signed for Arsenal in August 2011 and the Spaniard has very fond memories on working along with his fellow midfielder.
He hopes Arsenal may also help the free agent secure a move to a brand new club, but feels the previous Liverpool player can have a positive impact on Gunners children while he’s in north London.
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‘Top. Top character,’ Arteta said of Oxlade-Chamberlain at a press conference on Monday. ‘Top-of-the-line characters I’ve met in football.
‘If we may also help him and provides him the space for him to get up to the mark and have the capability to seek out a club. It’s a joy, the boys will learn from it.
‘I had the privilege to play with him and if he’s around he might be a extremely good role model to have across the team.’
Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Arsenal from Southampton in 2011 and went on to make 198 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 20 goals and winning three FA Cups.
In 2017 he made a move to Liverpool in a £35m deal and went on to play 146 times for the Reds, scoring 18 times and winning the Premier League and Champions League.
He departed the Premier League in 2023 at the tip of his Liverpool contract and signed for Besiktas, where he played 50 times, winning the Turkish Cup before his contract was terminated in August.
Where the experienced midfielder will move to next shouldn’t be clear, after the BBC linked him with each former club Southampton and Birmingham City over the summer but neither move got here to fruition.
The 35-cap England international will hope being involved with the Premier League leaders, even whether it is just on the training ground, will encourage interested parties to emerge.
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