Paper Round: Arsenal offer Oxlade-Chamberlain £125,000-a-week to ward off Chelsea

It's Monday's Paper Round. Arsenal have offered Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a new contract worth £125,000-a-week in order to ward off interest from Chelsea.

Arsenal offer Oxlade-Chamberlain new contract

The Star report that Arsenal have offered Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a new contract worth £125,000-a-week. The midfielder is reportedly interested in a possible move to champions Chelsea, who have bid for £40 million, but Arsenal are said to be confident that he will instead commit his future to them with this new and improved offer.

 

Our view: Chelsea has pursued Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for much of the summer if reports by the media are true. Whilst all the attention has been on Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal would do well to avoid another player moving clubs or leaving for free next season. 

Wenger admits Arsenal need to sell

The Mail reports that as manager Arsene Wenger admits that the club need to sell players before they can buy with a bloated squad of 33 players. Wenger would not discuss transfer targets, or indeed who might be sold, but he did say that he thinks the reason the window has become more quiet is because a lot of players are in a similar situation to the Gunners. 

Our view: A curse or a blessing? The truth is that managing too much players is not easy as you can't keep everyone of them happy. But on the other hand, as well as impacting on the wage bill, it might be a positive should injury hit the team but let's hope that's not the case. Once you look through Arsenal's squad you realise just how many players they have and it is ridiculous. Too many fringe players, less opportunity.

De Boer wants Sakho but Liverpool want too much

The Guardian reports that Crystal Palace manager Frank De Boer has admitted that he does want to bring Mamadou Sakho back to Selhurst Park on a permanent basis but Liverpool asking price of £30 million is too much. West Ham and West Brom are possible destinations for the defender but he would prefer going back to Palace where he had a successful loan last season.

 

Our view: Liverpool seem to have a pretty shaky defence lately and selling Sakho will be a no brainer. But seeing that Klopp doesn't have the defender in his plans in the current season, it would be best he allow him move to Palace for a cut price.

West Ham unlikely to make defensive signings

The Telegraph carry quotes from Slaven Bilic who says that West Ham are unlikely to make defensive reinforcements despite shipping seven goals in their opening two games of the Premier League season. The Hammers are expected to complete the signing of William Carvalho from Sporting CP imminently however. 

Our view: Seven goals in two games? That's too much of a hole that needs to be covered. Unless Bilic have something in mind to shore up the defence, he might just need a new defender. If not they could be in trouble.