Ox exit opens door for Nelson and Willock

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was our most high-profile departure of the transfer window after leaving for Liverpool on deadline day.

It brought to an end a six-year spell at Emirates Stadium that saw The Ox develop from a promising youngster into a fully-fledged England international.

Arsene Wenger was hopeful that Oxlade-Chamberlain would extend his stay with us - but he feels his exit opens the door for other young talents.

“I wish him well and I wish him all the best, you know, and I am thankful for what he has done here,” said the boss.

“At the end of the day, you make decisions that you choose one or the other one. We had to sell somebody and overall I believe that we are today in a strong financial situation as always and we have a good enough squad to compete.

“That doesn’t take away any of the quality of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, I think he is a great player but sometimes it opens the door for some younger players like Reiss Nelson or Joe Willock, or players who are in behind and get an opportunity that they wouldn’t get.”