Chelsea ready to spend up to £35m to sign Arsenal midfielder

Chelsea have stepped up their interest in Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and are prepared to spend up to £35m in order to prize him away from the Emirates, reports The Daily Mirror.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has entered the final 12 months of his existing deal and his future remains up in the air despite the fact Arsene Wenger wants to keep the versatile midfielder.

Chelsea and Liverpool have both been heavily linked with a move for the 23-year-old this summer but Antonio Conte’s side are determined to beat their rivals to his signature.

Reports from earlier this week suggested the reigning Premier League champions would open up with a £25m bid and now it has emerged Conte’s side are willing to spend as much as £35m despite the fact they could theoretically get him for nothing in 12 months.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has failed to nail down a regular starting role for Arsenal since joining from Southampton in 2011 and is now being used as a wing-back by Wenger.

Arsenal’s win rate in the Premier League since August 2015 with Oxlade-Chamberlain in the starting XI (68%) is substantially better compared to win he hasn’t been included from the off (51%).