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Celtic sent clear Oxlade-Chamberlain message as Arsenal stance clarified
Tom Weber
- Updated: 4 Feb 2026 11:30 GMT
- 5 min read
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Former Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has already told Celtic that he would prefer to stay near London.
The 32-year-old emerged as a surprise Deadline Day target for the Hoops. Due to being a free agent, Celtic could still add Oxlade-Chamberlain now, even though the window has closed.
On Tuesday, Martin O'Neill confirmed that he would be "very interested" in signing the former Premier League and Champions League winner. The interim boss also revealed that he has already spoken to Oxlade-Chamberlain about a potential move.
Current ETV
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
M, DM (C)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
M, DM (C)
ETV Range
€0.9M - €1.3M
Although he said that the player was "excited" by what he was told, O'Neill twice mentioned that the midfielder surely also has options closer to London, where he is currently keeping himself fit with Arsenal. This is a crucial factor, as the veteran wants to remain near his family.
"I spoke to him, but I'm sure he will have lots of options, maybe closer to London as well," O'Neill said. "He was very affable, I must admit. I would be very interested in doing it, but as I said to you, I'm surprised that people haven't taken him up closer to the area."
Oxlade-Chamberlain: I don't want to be away from my family again
In November, Oxlade-Chamberlain appeared on Ben Foster's podcast and revealed that he does not want to move away from his family again, which may ultimately rule out a move to Glasgow.
"The majority of [offers] have been in Europe, away from home," Oxlade-Chamberlain explained. "For me, I did two years away, which I found difficult on a family level.
"I was going six weeks, eight weeks without seeing my son, my missus, mum and dad, they didn’t even get a look in because if I ever come back for a day or two, it would be seeing them, seeing him, that was difficult.
"So, I just knew I don’t want to do that again. I want to be back in England. And it’s just waiting for the right thing to pop up back here, or close enough that that makes sense for a family thing.
"I think once you have children, it changes things. It’s not all just about me now, and completely about football. It needs to suit that as well. I’ve had offers, and I’ve had to say no to them because it wasn’t right for me and for us.
"So then your pool comes down to, you know, you’re saying, I want to be here. Then it’s just waiting for the right thing, the right project, something I can be excited about, to go into and hit the ground running hopefully."
Although the former England man has struggled with serious injuries, he still has plenty left in the tank at 32. On Monday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta did not rule out handing him an emergency contract to cover for the injured Mikel Merino.
However, if Arsenal are to give Oxlade-Chamberlain a deal, they need to do so quickly because the registration window for the Premier League closes on Thursday.
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