Chelsea launch £25 million swoop for Arsenal wing-back — report

A report from the Daily Mail claims that Chelsea’s rumored interest in Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has increased in the last week.

Antonio Conte has made it very clear in recent press conferences that he expects Chelsea to continue to bolster their squad. Reports have suggested that he desires somewhere in the range of three or four additional players. It’s a need that Chelsea appear willing to meet, though perhaps not quite a quickly as many would like.

The Oxlade-Chamberlain rumors have been circulating for several weeks at this point, with the most recent developments claiming that Chelsea were “poised to make a £25m move”. That was the Express; now it’s the Mail. It’s basically the same story, though they’re claiming an ‘EXCLUSIVE’.

As Chelsea get ready to open the season this weekend, the need for a deeper squad is readily apparent. Oxlade-Chamberlain would be a perfect addition, a homegrown player who could play a variety of positions. But the £25 million number seems very low and all reports agree that Arsenal remain unwilling to sell even with the Ox’s contract expiring this season.

The Mail claim that while Arsenal have rebuffed “initial overtures”, Chelsea are set to “intensify” efforts. Stay tuned...