After it felt like all the signs were pointing to his Anfield exit, it seems that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will remain a Liverpool player for next season, after all.
Rumours had been circulating that this summer was going to be the time when Oxlade-Chamberlain's five-year stint on Merseyside came to an end. Clubs such as Aston Villa had been credited with an interest in the England midfielder. Even Manchester United had been linked.
With just a year left on his contract, and a £10m price tag reportedly placed on his head, his time as a Liverpool player appeared to be over.
READ MORE: Neco Williams transfer latest as two clubs join race and frontrunners emerge for Liverpool deal
READ MORE: Manchester United vision in tatters after Darwin Nunez transfer as Liverpool exploit £1bn truth
That changed on Monday morning.
As now, the Reds have no plans to sell the 28-year-old in this transfer window, according to Anfield insiders.
Oxlade-Chamberlain found himself out of favour during the second half of last season as Liverpool chased an unprecedented quadruple. However, with Jurgen Klopp and Julian Ward putting plans to sign a new midfielder on hold until summer 2023, the 28-year-old is expected to report back for pre-season on July 4 and remain part of the squad for the campaign ahead. Jude Bellingham remains of interest, but he will not be leaving Borussia Dortmund this summer, while another target, Aurelien Tchouameni, has signed for Real Madrid.
You have to go back to March when Oxlade-Chamberlain last made an appearance for the Reds. It was in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Nottingham Forest, where he played just 64 minutes.
In fact, during the run-in, Klopp only included the former Arsenal man in a Premier League matchday squad five times from the end of February. His last outing in the top flight was the 3-1 win over Norwich City at Anfield on February 19.
So while he is set to stay Liverpool, this coming season could arguably be the toughest he has faced as a Reds player in terms of competing for a starting spot.
What will be on his side is the rule change for substitutions. Klopp will be able to make five during matches in the Premier League and, given Oxlade-Chamberlain’s versatility, you imagine he will get more of a look in than last season
But what may hinder his chances of playing is the other options at Klopp’s disposal - both players that were already at the club and those that have been signed.
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott will be looking to stake a claim to feature more often in the first team - and given they have long-term futures at Anfield, they are likely to be ahead of Oxlade-Chamberlain in the pecking order.
Then you have to consider the summer business that has been done. Fabio Carvalho has arrived with a lot of promise and versatility, which could well make him a go-to option for Klopp. Factor in that the new boy from Fulham plays in a similar role to Oxlade-Chamberlain, and his more experienced team-mate's job of getting a regular spot just got a lot tougher.
This is before you mention Darwin Nunez.
With Sadio Mane set to depart for Bayern Munich, a spot on the left-wing is set to open up. Luis Diaz may be the first-choice but a back-up option is also preferred. Nunez can also play on the left - and the same can be said for Diogo Jota.
It seems like Oxlade-Chamberlain’s job of getting into this Liverpool team went from tough to bordering on the impossible.
