Liverpool’s £15.5m deal reportedly confirms that ‘quality’ player will now stay at Anfield

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It appears Liverpool will have Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stay at Anfield this summer. It comes with reports surrounding a £15.5m deal.

Sky Sports are one of several outlets reporting that Liverpool will sell Takumi Minamino to AS Monaco. They’ve agreed on a £15.5m deal that guarantees the Reds a profit.

But we all knew this was coming. It’s been reported for some time now that Liverpool would sell Minamino, especially with their plethora of forwards right now. He struggled for games anyway and that was only going to continue into next season,

However, this could actually have a knock-on effect with one teammate. If reports are accurate, the deal to sell Minamino should mean Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains stays at Anfield for the 2022/23 season.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to stay

The Mirror reported last week that Oxlade-Chamberlain was to remain at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp didn’t want him sold. Not, they say, if Minamino was departing. The boss didn’t want to lose both.

And even though Oxlade-Chamberlain also didn’t play all that much last season, we understand that. While the forward line isn’t open for places, midfield certainly is – and the Englishman is a more accomplished midfielder than Minamino.

Especially as next season should see a change at Liverpool. Signing Darwin Nunez means moving towards a more traditional no.9 and away from the False 9 system we’ve seen under Klopp. That also means there will be less playmaking coming from the position and it will fall more on the midfield to make up the difference.

Thus attacking midfielders should get more freedom. Furthering the suggestion that Liverpool will head in this direction is the fact that all of their young midfielders fit the mould. Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Fabio Carvalho are playmakers, rather than the all-action players Klopp typically puts in the middle.

However, they’re also very young. Oxlade-Chamberlain is an attacking midfielder with experience and it makes a lot of sense to keep him around for next season. Minamino’s departure appears to confirm that will be the case – and we expect the Englishman to play.

His form earlier this season was very solid, after all. Jurgen Klopp labelled it ‘quality’ and it goes someway to explaining why he wants him around. Oxlade-Chamberlain should be an even better fit next season.