Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Southampton)

Could be a big risk. I think it's one where if we pass it by and he goes on to be a superstar for the mancs we'll all be going F***ing nuts. If he doesn't then it'll be a shrewd move. £10million is a lot of money for a 17 year old playing in League One.

Southampton's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is Liverpool transfer target
• Kenny Dalglish looking for support for Fernando Torres
• 17-year-old attacking midfielder could cost £10m

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Andy Hunter
The Guardian,    Wednesday 12 January 2011
Article history

Southampton's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, playing here for England U-18s, is a transfer target for Liverpool. Photograph: Jed Leicester /Action Images
Liverpool have prepared a £10m bid for Southampton's highly rated teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as they attempt to rebuild for the future and to back Kenny Dalglish's pledge of support for Fernando Torres with action.

The 17-year-old son of the former England international Mark Chamberlain has made only 14 starts for the League One club but is regarded by many at Southampton, and Liverpool's scouting department, as a better prospect than Theo Walcott was at the same age. Walcott's current club, Arsenal, are Liverpool's main rival for the signature of an attacking midfielder who has scored six goals this season, and the clubs hope to complete a deal in this transfer window.

Liverpool have not yet made an offer for Oxlade-Chamberlain, the second youngest player to feature for Southampton behind Walcott, but the club's new owners, Fenway Sports Group, are willing to meet the south coast club's £10m valuation. FSG, advised by Liverpool's director of football strategy Damien Comolli, want to invest in young and coveted talent, and the teenager's arrival would serve as a statement of the new owner's intent should he choose Anfield over the Emirates.

Anfield scouts view Oxlade-Chamberlain as one of the finest prospects in the country and, though he would likely be nurtured into the first team at Liverpool, the club are anxious to address the lack of support for Torres. The Spain international was substituted 13 minutes from the end of Dalglish's first game in charge at Manchester United on Sunday, with Liverpool in need of an equaliser in the FA Cup third-round tie. The club's record signing has struggled for fitness and consistent form for over a year and often appeared disillusioned during Roy Hodgson's ill-starred reign. Dalglish, however, is confident he can lead Torres out of his prolonged slump and has told the 26-year-old to look no further than his own career for evidence that even world-class strikers are not immune to a loss of form.

Dalglish, who takes charge of his first Premier League game at Blackpool, said: "Someone asked me if I had a magic wand for Fernando. I said I don't need one, he has got one himself. He might be lacking a little bit of confidence, but he is still a top goal scorer and someone everybody fears when he goes on to the pitch.

"I went through a worse spell than he has. I can pass on advice and I will try and help him in any way, shape or form, but it's the same for all the players. We've got to try and help each other. We've got to have respect and belief in what we are doing and carry that on to the pitch. We have to continue working as hard as we possibly can to turn things around."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/12/alex-oxlade-chamberlain-liverpool-transfer-bid




£10m is a bit steep but if the club see fit, in that he is good enough, i would support it. For me, it is evidence of Mr Comolli's influence at the club. Just read this from the Guardian website.

Better 10 million now than be complaining when someone like City gets him for 20 or 30 in a few years. Could have done with this type of signing a few years ago.

Personally i'd rather put that £10million towards buying Eden Hazard.

very costly for his age, don't think he would be worth it.

I don't know much about him, but what I do know is that Southampton have sold two youngsters for 10m in the past few years who have gone on to be two of the best wingers in the Premier League. So we know they produce good youngsters.

It's definitely a risk. 10m does seem a lot for a League One player, but how gutted would we be if he turned out to be amazing in the future.  

Risks can pay off big time or bite you.

We would want to be sure. We dont have money to waste.

A real talent. If our owners are willing to splash 10m for him, it's completely acceptable by me as long as they are willing to continue spending on first team players. This lad is going to be a high quality player in the future though, that is for sure.

I'm actually going to watch a Saints game in Feb (for a mates birthday!), so if he gets loaned back there and plays then I'll be the forum scout

Meant to be top quality
risky spending 10m on him although he coudl turn into a superstar
id rather pay 10m on a striker to support torres

If we missed out and he matured into a Walcott or Bale we'd be well pissd off, just as we would if we paid 10m and he turned in to a Poulson or a Carlton Cole. Damned if we do, Damned if we don't.

I dont get it, why do people think players in lower divisions are going to be the next best thing? There is a massive difference playing in League 1 and the Premiership. Look at Beckford, all that talk about him and he has done jack sh*t, David Nugent done jack sh*t and i would bet money on this guy doing jack sh*t. Dont want sulky players on the training ground either.

I dont get it, why do people think players in lower divisions are going to be the next best thing? There is a massive difference playing in League 1 and the Premiership. Look at Beckford, all that talk about him and he has done jack sh*t, David Nugent done jack sh*t and I would bet money on this guy doing jack sh*t. Dont want sulky players on the training ground either.

Beckford was 26. Hardly a good comparison.

Beckford was 26. Hardly a good comparison.

How is it not a good comparison? He was banging in the goals left right and centre and there was a lot of talk about him being able to cut it in the Premiership.

This lad is much younger though. They produced Bale and Walcott who are delivering.

I'd hardly say Walcott is delivering, has more bad games than he does good games and will never be consistent. Yeah I'l give you Bale, he's producing the goods.

We all have our ideas of what players are worth but I'm already getting tired of reading posts saying this or that player is too expensive. Surely it's relative to how much we have to spend, which NONE of us actually know.
If we can afford to pay good money to get the very best youngsters AND still get a few signings who can drop straight into the first team then I say yes, we absolutely should go for them.
Go for the likes of this lad and Lukaku now or wait 3 years until they're at somewhere like Real where we have no chance of signing them and/or valued at £25m+.
If it means that we then have to miss out on the likes of Hazard or Suarez who I think can drop straight into the team, then fair enough, we'll just have to miss out.
People can only speculate how much money FSG have or are willing to spend on us so player valuations mean nothing to me, we should be just discussing whether they're right for us.


( Edit - I do personally think that Lukaku could probably come straight into the team, I was just using him as an example.)

Arsenal FC to trump Manchester United and Liverpool FC for Southampton starlet

http://www.click-manchester.com/sport/manchester-united/1212025-arsenal-fc-to-trump-manchester-united-and-liverpool-fc-for-southampton-starlet.html

 by Will Swanson. Published Fri 14 Jan 2011 11:11
Arsenal FC to trump Manchester United and Liverpool FC for Southampton starlet  According to reports Manchester United’s hope of landing Southampton whizzkid Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have been dashed.

The Daily Mail claims Arsenal are close to agreeing a £5 million deal for the youngster.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger appears to have beaten United, Liverpool and Chelsea to the signature of the highly-rated 17-year-old.

Arsenal have established a relationship with Southampton after signing Theo Walcott in 2006.


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Balls

Alex Chamberlain - Southampton Sensation

Seems a really good prospect, but if reports are to believe he's close to agree terms with Arsenal.

I dont get it, why do people think players in lower divisions are going to be the next best thing? There is a massive difference playing in League 1 and the Premiership. Look at Beckford, all that talk about him and he has done jack sh*t, David Nugent done jack sh*t and i would bet money on this guy doing jack sh*t. Dont want sulky players on the training ground either.

Yeah, but Beckford is 27. This guy is 17.

Just because he plays for Southampton, no doubt due to logistics, you can't say he is going to be sh*t. Completely the wrong way to look at things.

The last 2 big players Southampton let go were Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott, so hope for this lad yet, no?

Raheem Sterling is tapping him up on facebook

Are you friends with Raheem on Facebook ?? PM the link of his page

Are you friends with Raheem on Facebook ?? PM the link of his page

done. ya he's pretty sound on it. I added him back in his QPR days for some reason and had a grand chat with him a few weeks later.