Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool vs Arsenal - Liverpool, Britain - August 27, 2017   Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in action with Liverpool's Jordan Henderson    REUTERS/Phil Noble    EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, left, is reportedly leaving Arsenal to join Chelsea. Phil Noble / Reuters

Oxlade-Chamberlain set to join Chelsea from Arsenal, British media reports



England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is set to join Premier League champions Chelsea from Arsenal, according to British media reports on Monday.

The two clubs have, according to The Guardian, The Independent and ESPN, agreed a fee for the 24-year-old player, who was substituted during the limp 4-0 thrashing by Liverpool on Sunday.

The Independent claims Chelsea will part with £35 million (Dh166.3m) and further strain the relationship between manager Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal supporters, who have seen little improvement from the team in the early part of the season from that of last term.

Wenger had said this month that he wanted Oxlade-Chamberlain - who is with the England squad preparing for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and is due to discuss personal terms with Chelsea on Tuesday - to stay.

"In the last year, he has made huge progress and personally I want him to stay here for a long time," Wenger said.

"I'm convinced he will be the English player that everybody will look at in the next two years."

Arsenal will at least get a fee for Oxlade-Chamberlain, which would not have been the case had he seen out the final year of his contract - the same situation Arsenal find themselves in with German World Cup-winner Mesut Ozil and Chilean star Alexis Sanchez.

Also read:

Richard Jolly: Arsenal seem trapped in a tragicomic stasis, where history repeats itself

Wenger, though, has said in the past he is willing for them to see out their contracts and go for nothing.

The Frenchman's acquisitions in the close season have done little to allay fans' scepticism over his signing of a new contract after they won the FA Cup.

Only French striker Alexandre Lacazette, for a club-record £52m, and Bosnian international defender Sead Kolasinac, on a free transfer, have joined in the close season.

Chelsea have added, among others, Spanish international striker Alvaro Morata and France midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, and have the likes of England midfielders Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley still in their sights before the transfer window closes on Thursday.

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Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung

Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos

Rating:+2.5/5

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.

Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic 

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Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 2.5/5


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