Paul Merson names problem with Liverpool FC signing: I don’t know his best position
The Arsenal legend admits he still doesn't know where Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's best position is in the Liverpool FC team
Paul Merson admits he still doesn’t know Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s best position in the Liverpool FC team.
The England international completed a deadline day move to Liverpool FC from their top-six rivals Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
Oxlade-Chamberlain commanded a £40m transfer fee to become the second-most expensive signing of all-time at the Merseyside outfit.
The 24-year-old moved to Southampton in 2010 as one of England’s most-exciting talents despite a lack of Premier League football.
Oxlade-Chamberlain impressed during his initial seasons at The Emirates but the versatile midfielder struggled to blossom into one of the division’s best players.
The Saints youth graduate left Arsenal after winning three FA Cup titles in four seasons but was unable to get his hands on the Premier League title.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has scored two goals and has made two assists in 17 games in all competitions since his move to the 18-time English champions.
But Merson poised an intriguing question about Oxlade-Chamberlain when quizzed about the midfielder’s move to Liverpool FC from his former club Arsenal.
“At Arsenal, when you are playing with those two players [Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil] – world class footballers – the natural reaction is, as soon as they get the ball, to look for those two,” Merson told Sky Sports.
“You give them the ball and they’ll probably touch it 40 times more than Oxlade-Chamberlain.
“Straight away that knocks his odds down of having a good game compared to them. I’ve followed his career from Southampton to Arsenal, I still don’t know where he plays, I don’t know his best position.
“I think you’ve got to put him in the centre, in the midfield three and say ‘you are playing there’ and leave him there for 10 games. He plays one game there, then he plays wing-back, on the wing and he just needs a position.”
Liverpool FC will take on FC Porto in the Champions League last 16 in February after finishing top of their group thanks to 7-0 victories over Maribor and Spartak Moscow.
