4 weeks ago
25
Birmingham City have reportedly set their sights on a shock move for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The 32-year-old former England international is currently with Turkish side Besiktas, having departed Liverpool in 2023.
As reported by the Mirror, the Istanbul club would be willing to sanction his exit if the right deal can be agreed.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is said to be open to a return to England, and is also attracting interest from the Premier League
The former Liverpool and Arsenal midfielder has returned to full training in Turkey and is in good condition.
Birmingham's ambitious owners are hopeful they can tempt him to St Andrew's, pointing to their growing pulling power under chairman Tom Wagner and the involvement of NFL legend Tom Brady, who is a minority owner.
The Blues have already made a promising start to life in the Championship after last season's promotion from League One.
Bringing in a high-profile name like Oxlade-Chamberlain would underline their intent, with club chiefs convinced that his experience and pedigree could prove decisive in the push for a return to the top flight.
A move back to England would allow the 32-year-old to reunite with fiancée Perrie Edwards, the former Little Mix star, and their three-year-old son.
Speaking in 2024, Edwards revealed that the pair have not lived together htroughout the entirety of their nine-year relationship.
She told ITV: 'I can't lie, it is hard. When he was playing for Liverpool and based in Manchester, it was so easy to do the back and forth but Turkey is a little bit further and he doesn't get a lot of time off.
'I'm trying to launch a solo career whilst having a two year old so it is a lot to juggle but we make it work for the ones we love don't we?
'We've never lived together anyway - the whole eight years we've been in a relationship, we've never actually lived together.'
Oxlade-Chamberlain made 146 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool after joining from Arsenal in a £35m deal in 2017.
He was part of the Reds side that secured a first Premier League trophy for the club in 2020, and also featured in their league cup-winning squad two years after.
