Liverpool complete the signing of England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Liverpool completed the signing of England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from top four rivals Arsenal yesterday.

The deal cost the Reds a reported £35m fee, joining on a five year contract worth £120,000 per week.

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Significantly, Oxlade-Chamberlain rejected Arsenal’s offer of a new contract worth £180,000 per week – £60,000 more. The former Southampton youngster had made his mind up that his time at Arsenal was over earlier in the summer.

Chelsea had seen a £40m bid accepted by their Premier League rivals the day previous, but Oxlade-Chamberlain turned down their £220,000 per week contract offer – more keen to join up the world famous Reds.

In moving to Anfield, he becomes the sixth Southampton player to make the switch in the last three years. Rickie Lambert (now unattached), Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren all jumped ship back in 2014, Nathaniel Clyne followed for £12.5m a year later, while Sadio Mane moved to Jurgen Klopp’s side for £34m just last summer.

Although Liverpool have missed out on key targets Virgil van Dijk and Thomas Lemar, they have spent £80m on players this summer – with another £48m going out on Naby Keita next summer. Klopp moved to improve Liverpool’s key areas including signing left back Andrew Robertson from Hull, winger Mohamed Salah from Roma, young striker Dominic Solanke from Chelsea and now Oxlade-Chamberlain, who can cover right back, left back, central midfield and either flank.

Oxlade-Chamberlain played 198 games for Arsenal since joining from Southampton for £15m in 2011.

Jurgen Klopp suggested that it was courageous of the former Arsenal player to switch between two highly regarded British clubs, saying: “This is someone making a tough decision to leave one great club and come to another great club and I think he had many options, so to get him means I am delighted,” Klopp told the Liverpool club website.

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“He didn’t make an easy decision, but I think he made a great one to go on this journey with this squad of talented boys and our great supporters.

“I am really, really happy we have got Alex signed. Since the last game I have been waiting and hoping we could make this transfer – and when I got the news he was ours it was fantastic.”