Sheffield United eye move for ex-Arsenal and Liverpool star | OneFootball

Sheffield United are said to be interested in acquiring Besiktas midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, according to Turkish news outlet Sabah.

The Blades endured a torrid season back in the Premier League last term, as they were marooned to the bottom of the table for a high proportion of the campaign.

In what was a difficult season for the club from the very beginning, the Blades supporters were resigned to the fate of Championship football for a long, long time before their relegation was eventually confirmed on April 27th.

Now, in the midst of a second stint in charge of his boyhood club, Chris Wilder has been tasked with overseeing the rebuild of a somewhat ageing squad to compete at the top end of the second tier, just two seasons after securing automatic promotion under Paul Heckingbottom.

Changes among the squad have already taken place via the club's retained list, which has seen the likes of midfield stalwart Ollie Norwood depart after six years at Bramall Lane. However, Blades fans could soon be greeted with the signing of yet another experienced head in the middle of the park.

Sheffield United show an interest in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

That's because of a report by Turkish news outlet Sabah, who claim that United have expressed an interest in acquiring the services of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who currently plies his trade for Süper Lig giants, Besiktas.

The former Arsenal, Liverpool and England international midfielder has only been with the club for the past season, having initially joined on a free transfer following his release from Anfield.

However, the aforementioned report claims that the hierarchy and management at the Tüpraş Stadyumu have no intentions of seeing the 30-year-old as part of their plans for the upcoming season in August.

The outlet also states that "Beşiktaş made a flash decision regarding the star name it added to its squad at the beginning of last season, but could not get the desired result."

It goes on by claiming that Oxlade-Chamberlain has expressed positive feelings regarding a potential move back to his home country, and that Sheffield United have expressed an interest in those possibilities.

The Southampton academy graduate signed a three-year deal with the Turkish outfit last August, meaning that a fee would be required to see him move to South Yorkshire, but no official figures have been mooted at this moment in time.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's stats for Besiktas

The once highly-reputable midfielder moved to Türkiye after Besiktas finished third in the Süper Lig, but it's fair to say that it has been an indifferent campaign for both club and player.

Oxlade-Chamberlain made a steady start to his career with the club, scoring his first goal in just his third appearance in a 2-1 victory over Kayserispor on September 24th, before tallying a further four goal contributions in a mixture of roles, such as featuring on the left-wing on a handful of occasions.

However, the 35-time Three Lions international would tear his left thigh, making him unavailable for approximately three-and-a-half months, before failing to accumulate a further goal contribution across the remainder of the season.

He made 30 appearances for the club across all domestic and European competitions in a campaign which saw six permanent and interim managers take the hotseat.

Sheffield United move would be good for both parties despite potential salary concerns

No doubt, a move back to the Championship would help revitalise the experienced midfielder's career, just as much as Sheffield United need a revival of their own, as well as a rebuild in midfield.

There have already been reports that suggest Vinicius Souza has been made available for transfer by the aforementioned Wilder, and after Norwood's departure, we are looking at a new-look midfield in the red half of the Steel City.

As well as providing much-needed experience, Oxlade-Chamberlain would also provide a great deal of flair alongside the likes of Gustavo Hamer, and his signing would be a statement of intent.

Perhaps the only concern is that the midfielder's estimated salary is €80,192 per week according to Capology, a rather large figure for Championship standard, and a salary which would make him by far and away the highest earner at the club.

It feels likely that a wage of similar offerings will only be achieved if and when the club's well-documented takeover saga reaches its conclusion, but if a deal came to fruition for the former Arsenal and Liverpool man, it would be extremely shrewd.