Tony Cascarino says Liverpool may be targeting 24-year-old to replace Oxlade-Chamberlain

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Liverpool may be targeting Mason Mount to act as a direct replacement for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

That’s the view of TalkSPORT pundit and Liverpool fan Tony Cascarino. Talking on the radio station earlier today, Cascarino gave his take on where Mount would best be suited to playing, should he leave Chelsea this summer.

“I would say that Arsenal feels like the most natural fit of how they play, for him,” said the former striker. “Do Liverpool have an attacking midfielder? They obviously lost Naby Keita, that didn’t work out.

“Ox is a similar type of player, they might want another one and they see Mount, so I get that. I would probably go slightly Arsenal first, then Liverpool.”

For the moment, it’s actually a third club – Manchester United – who look the most likely to snatch Mount away from Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool searching for perfect midfielder

There are certainly some similarities between the way Mount and Oxlade-Chamberlain operate. Both are without a doubt in the category of ‘roaming midfield player.’

Ox is a little quicker, a little more powerful than Mount though, who is probably a better technician than the 29-year-old. Ironically, the attributes of the two mixed together would be absolutely perfect for what Liverpool need.

But individually, there are possibly question marks over both. Aside from his fitness issues, there were always worries over Oxlade-Chamberlain’s quality on the ball.

Mount meanwhile has had a particularly poor season, and has never really operated consistently in a Jurgen Klopp-style 4-3-3.

There is a reasonable argument that a player like an Oxlade-Chamberlain or a Mount is the missing piece Liverpool need in their midfield. Used correctly, they could give the Reds something a little different to what they have.

But whether either is quite up to scratch for what Liverpool need is a different matter.

Ultimately, Oxlade-Chamberlain wasn’t quite good enough to feature regularly for this version of the Reds. Injuries played their part in that, but perhaps he never really was. Such is his place in the squad at the end of his Anfield career, it’s may be strange to say that Klopp even needs to replace the former Arsenal man.

But he did offer something. And if Liverpool can get an upgrade, perhaps they’ll then be perfectly set.