Celtic look to be close to their sixth signing of this winter.
And unlike the first five, this one is permanent – albeit on a short-term deal. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is having his Celtic medical.
The midfielder has been training with Arsenal, having been a free agent since leaving Besiktas at the end of his two-year contract last summer.
Martin O’Neill has publicly spoken highly of Oxlade-Chamberlain, and looks set to land his man on a six-month deal with an option to extend.
He’s not the only one who admires the ex-England international… so too does ex-Celtic man Virgil van Dijk.
Could Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have an impact like Scott Sinclair did at Celtic?
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain of Besiktas looks on during the Turkish Super League match between Besiktas and Goztepe
Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images
Virgil van Dijk on new Celtic man Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Van Dijk joined Liverpool six months after Oxlade-Chamberlain, with both playing a crucial role in their run to the 2018 Champions League final.
They would share a dressing room for over five years until the Englishman departed Liverpool in 2023.
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Van Dijk spoke about Oxlade-Chamberlain after a 4-1 win over Genk in 2019, after the midfielder had just missed almost a year through injury.
Oxlade-Chamberlain scored two goals on the night, and the Dutchman was full of praise, saying: “He’s worked so hard to get back to this point and he deserves a night like that.
“He’s such a great guy, such an important guy for the group. He’s a quality player and he showed it, not only with his goals, but also with his all-round game.
“During a difficult period, he always managed to stay positive. We were all there for him.
“Pre-season was tough for him but he’s showing a lot of great things right now. He’s so sharp. His goals made the difference.
“The first one was so important and the second was a killer for them. It’s just great to see him back out there.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain will also have had Andy Robertson and Joe Hart in his ear since the news of his move to Glasgow emerged.
Is this Celtic’s strongest starting XI now that the transfer window has closed?
What does yours look like?
Celtic's strongest starting XI after the transfer window
Credit: GRV Media
The career of Celtic target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
After emerging as a 16-year-old wonderkid at Southampton, Oxlade-Chamberlain earned a £15 million move to Arsenal in 2011, becoming the youngest ever English goalscorer in the Champions League (a record which was later broken by Jude Bellingham).
At age 18, Oxlade-Chamberlain was named in the 23-man England squad at EURO 2012, alongside future Hoops hero Hart. He appeared in their opening match against France.
He went on to make 198 appearances for Arsenal before joining Liverpool for £35 million in 2018. He played a crucial role in their title-winning Premier League season in 2019-20.
Beset by multiple major injuries, he faded into a background role in Jurgen Klopp’s squad before moving to Besiktas on a free transfer. Across two years in Turkey, he played under eight managers.
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