Turkish media are linking the former Premier League star with Sheffield United

According to Turkish news outlet Sabah, Sheffield United are interested in former Liverpool midfielder and current Besiktas player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The 30-year-old is under contract until June 2026 but wants to return to England as soon as possible.

Oxlade-Chamberlain made a total of 30 appearances in all competitions for Besiktas last season, adding four goals and an assist to his name. However, the Turkish club are keen to let the former England international leave this summer.

The 30-year-old has certainly left his mark on the English game throughout his career.

The versatile attacking midfielder contributed 19 goals in 43 appearances for Southampton during their League One days. Such form earned him a move to Arsenal, where he scored 20 goals and provided 28 assists in just 200 games. For Liverpool he scored 18 times and provided 15 assists in 146 matches.

According to the report, Besiktas would be willing to let Oxlade-Chamberlain leave for a cut-price fee and even a free transfer is a possibility.

This is a dubious rumor to say the least, but we have no idea how much money will be available if the proposed takeover goes through.

The BBC previously reported that the former Arsenal man will earn around £2.2m per season in Turkey (around £42k per week).

Oxlade-Chamberlain is not the first player from Turkey to receive a surprise move to Sheffield United. Josh King, who now plies his trade for Fenerbahce, was linked with the Blades last summer.

Fenerbahce’s Joshua King (R) fights for the ball with Sevilla’s Loic Bade (L) during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 soccer match between Fenerbahce SK and Sevilla FC at Fenerbahce Ulker Stadium in Istanbul on March 16 2023. (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP) (Photo by OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)

This rumor has to be taken with a grain of salt, but if United were able to secure a big name signing like Oxlade-Chamberlain then it would certainly be a huge statement of intent from the potential new owners.

We know Sheffield United will be fishing in the pond for midfielders this summer and the likes of Lewis O’Brien, Alex Mowatt, Alan Browne and Steven Alzate are much more realistic signings than Oxlade-Chamberlain.

That said, last summer saw another former England star make a surprise move to Luton Town. Ross Barkley transferred back to play a season at Kenilworth Road and impressed so much that Aston Villa signed him to at least be an impact player. There were also rumors that he was being considered for the England ranks due to his form and experience.

Perhaps Oxlade-Chamberlain recognizes that a good season in the English leagues would also earn him a decent move to the Premier League, and a move to the Championship could pay dividends if his form picks up.

One thing that unfortunately remains all too common in Oxlade-Chamberlain’s game is his injury proneness. Last season he missed about 19 games due to injury. In the previous campaign he missed 14 matches, according to information provided by Transfermarkt.