Arsenal had the chance to sign a former midfielder when he was training with the club for a couple of months, but the Gunners ended up missing out on signing him
11:06, 12 Feb 2026
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New signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain of Celtic is paraded in front of the fans ahead of kick off at Celtic Park.
Celtic v Dundee, Scottish Gas Scottish Cup, Fifth Round, Football, Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, UK - 07 Feb 2026
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain signed for Celtic last week(Image: Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock)
Former Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain enjoyed a dream start to life at Celtic as he scored a stoppage-time winner to keep the club's title dream alive. Oxlade-Chamberlain, 32, signed for The Hoops on a short-term deal last Saturday after spending the last couple of months training with Arsenal.
And on his debut for Martin O'Neill's side, he netted a stunning 91st-minute winner to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory against Livingston at Celtic Park. The Hoops were on course to drop points in the Scottish Premiership title race up until Oxlade-Chamberlain stepped up and whipped home a terrific curling strike from the edge of the box.
Speaking post-match, an ecstatic Oxlade-Chamberlain said: "Those goals are the things you still dream of, even at this stage in my career. Moments like that are why we play this game and you never get bored of it.
"I'm just delighted that the club's given me the chance to be back on the pitch, and have put a bit of faith in me to have moments like that. It's my job to add moments of quality like that.
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"We need to be a bit more clinical to see games out but it was great character from the boys and we got the job done. This is a special place. I've seen it over the years watching Celtic and now I feel that – this is a massive club. The fans can play a big role and it's our job to keep inspiring them and keep them with us."
After his contract at Besiktas was terminated in August, Oxlade-Chamberlain returned to Arsenal and had been training with the first-team squad in a bid to keep up his fitness. There was some talk that the Gunners could indeed hand Oxlade-Chamberlain a contract after impressing Mikel Arteta and the players.
Speculation then increased after Mikel Merino was ruled out for a extended period with a foot injury and the Gunners were scrambling around for a potential short-term replacement. Although Oxlade-Chamberlain emerged as an option, he decided to make the move up to Celtic last week on a deal until the end of the season.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had been training with Arsenal
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had been training with Arsenal(Image: Getty Images)
With Celtic drawing 1-1 against Livingston, O'Neill brought Oxlade-Chamberlain on in the 78th minute. While he had just 14 touches, scoring with one of them could have a huge impact on the title race.
"We didn't look like we were going to get any reward at all and Alex scores this brilliant goal," O'Neill said post-match. "When it left his foot, I could see it going in and that was a real delight.
"He's been a really fine player in his career, an excellent career. It's just a matter of him getting up to speed and I think that will come. He's naturally fit and hopefully he will be a big asset to us.
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"He had a choice of a lot of teams. He's decided to come up here and help us out. He's done more than that, he's got us three points on the board."
Oxlade-Chamberlain could next be in action for Celtic when they travel to Kilmarnock on Sunday. The Hoops sit six points behind leaders Hearts in the title race but boast a game in hand on the table-toppers.
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