England manager Gareth Southgate was involved in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s decision to turn down Chelsea in favour of a move to Liverpool, according to Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was on England duty in the days leading up to deadline day, and it is believed that Southgate had a private conversation with the then Arsenal winger about his future.
Although the exact contents of the meeting have not been made public, the Telegraph believe Oxlade-Chamberlain’s decision to reject the Blues was “partly influenced” by the conversation he had with the England boss.
The midfielder secured a £35m move to Liverpool prior to the transfer window closing last Thursday, and he has since claimed in an interview with Liverpoolfc.com that he wanted to join the Reds in order to work with manager Jurgen Klopp, who he believes can help develop his game.
After missing out on Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chelsea signed Torino’s Davide Zappacosta, who will compete with Victor Moses for the right wing back role.
