Oxlade-Chamberlain poised for England return as 'ambitious' transfer bid made

Sheffield United have made an ambitious attempt to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer, it's claimed.

The former Liverpool midfielder has been told he is not wanted any longer by Besiktas, who he joined on a three-year contract last summer. He has been exploring his options and is keen to return to England after just one season in Turkey, with his fiancée Perrie Edwards and son Axel still based in the country.

The Sun reports that Sheffield United have made an offer to take him on loan for the 2024/25 season. The Blades have been relegated to the Championship, where Chris Wilder is tasked with guiding them straight back to the Premier League.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s wages could prove to be a stumbling block, with Besiktas tied in to paying him €2.5million (£2.2m) per season for another two years. But there are still 20 days left in the summer transfer window in which to try and agree a deal.

Sheffield United kicked off their Championship campaign with a 2-0 win over Preston on Friday night and can offer Oxlade-Chamberlain what he wants: regular football. The 30-year-old has struggled with injuries in recent years and still has something to prove.

“At this point, the most important thing is minutes and football because I’ve spent a few too many years not playing, even when I felt ready and capable and good to go,” he told The Athletic in October. “I just want to play. I need to play, to take this opportunity and see what I can still achieve while my legs are still moving.”

The Blades have signed Alfie Gilchrist and Harry Souttar to strengthen their defence already this summer and are chasing further deals. As well as Oxlade-Chamberlain, they are keen to sign Crystal Palace star Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and, speaking before the Preston game, Wilder said more deals were in the pipeline.

“We've been working extremely hard but nothing more has been completed [ahead of Preston],” Wilder said. “It [the deadline] was a couple of hours ago but there's things happening around the football club that will continue to develop and I'm sure, before Tuesday, we'll have a couple of bits of good news.

“We're feeling that excitement and enthusiasm bubbling. We have to be patient, I've had to be patient. There are still some targets we're after that we'd like to complete and there's got to be an understanding that it has been put together quickly. I'm not asking for time but we might have to show a bit of patience.”