Arsene Wenger has said he is “surprised” by reports Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is ready to leave Arsenal in the summer.
The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mirror reported on Thursday that the England international, whose current deal expires in the 2018, is unhappy at the Emirates Stadium and is looking to move on.
The Telegraph said Liverpool are likely to be interested in Oxlade-Chamberlain, while the Mirror claimed there is interest from Manchester United and Manchester City.
Speaking at a press conference, Arsenal manager Wenger said: “I haven’t seen that. I’m surprised by that because I believe that he has been developed well, he is developing well at the moment and he has been given his chance.
“When you are somewhere, you have to want to be there first. After that, the only thing I can say is that personally I rate him highly. I showed that in the way I keep faith in him when he spent long times out injured. He’s developing very well at the moment.
“I personally wish that he stays at the club, because I think he’s a very promising player who has developed very well and who looks to me to have the values that we rate at this club.”
Speculation also continues over the futures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez as well as Wenger himself.
The Telegraph understands that Ozil has not responded to Arsenal’s latest contract offer, which is said to be worth more than £200,000 a week, with friends in his native Germany apparently claiming he wants to quit the club.
The Mirror say Ozil has been offered a £280,000-a-week deal in an attempt to persuade him to stay in north London, but the player is apparently holding out as he believes he can get even more money elsewhere.
As for the under-fire Wenger, the Mirror say Arsenal’s board want him to show he can reinvent himself before keeping him beyond the end of the season, when his contract expires.
The Guardian, on the other hand, reckon the Arsenal hierarchy remain supportive of Wenger and feel he deserves the chance to carry on.