Alex Chamberlain

A lot of interest from Arsenal and Fulham according to the Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1336256/Fulham-Southampton-starlet-Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Ah yes, the same Arsenal whose manager, Arsene Wenger, said he felt sorry for Saints as we were never able to hang onto young talent. Well, Wenger can f*** off, I am sick of losing our best young players to the likes of Arsenal and (worse) Fulham. It would be nice, just for once, to be able to hang onto talented young players such as Lallana and Chamberlain.

Reality of the world though is agents operate even for 17 year olds and money talks, My mate was around tonight and we talked about keeping bale, walcott, bridge etc but said to have any chance you have to be able to offer mega salaries which for us would eventually bankrupt the club.

Bets we can do is keep them on rolling contracts so always 2 years outstanding so you can get best price and try to get rival bids. Unless top 3 in Premier league always going to be at risk of losing your best players

It seems Liverpool have joined the hunt.

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/48345/Hodgson_planning_Saints_raid.aspx

Being the sport guess they still think Hodgson is still Fulham manager!

Alex has made this comment on Facebook.......

Not being funny like, but i generally cant handle anymore questions about where im moving to or if im stayin or whatever! So please no more questions! lol


Can you read anything into that?

Well guess a simple "I am not moving" might have stopped the questions being asked.

At least he signed a 3 year contract so for once we are in a genuinely strong position, as soon as they have a year to go all the cards are held by the player, or at least his agent

SaintMike wrote:Alex has made this comment on Facebook.......

Not being funny like, but i generally cant handle anymore questions about where im moving to or if im stayin or whatever! So please no more questions! lol


Can you read anything into that?

Only that he's fed up with people collaring him and asking whether he's staying or going.

Chelsea interested too?

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/chelsea-launch-bid-trump-liverpool-oxlade-chamberlain-1343561

Hope Adkins means this....

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11668_6614570,00.html

Stoke too.......

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1342040/Stoke-join-growing-queue-Southampton-whizkid-Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain.html

Anyone else to join the Q? May as well say the Skates are interested! Daily mail again what a fine publication, still whenever did that paper let the truth get in the way of a good headline.

Apparently Damien Comolli was at the D&R game, probably watching Chamberlain. If we can hang onto him and Lallana (along with signing Chaplow and Guly, if Guly signs) then it will be a decent transfer window. Wish Comolli, and Liverpool, would eff off though.

Spurs too
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/transfer-rumours/4254/8/tottenham-join-arsenal-and-liverpool-chase-southampton-starlet

05 Jan 2011 21:55:26
"If southampton manage to sign charlie austin then saints might let alex chamberlin leave"

"Not Alex - His dad lost his job at Portsmouth to keep him at Saints. He won't let him leave
I would say that it would be David Connolly leaving instead."

Man United join the queue?

http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/49065/Fergie_plots_%c2%a310m_starlet_swoop.aspx


Might not be toooooo bad if he comes back to us on loan???

Liverpool can't afford £10 million.

I really wish these big clubs would just piss off and leave our young players alone. I am fed up with losing promising talent to greedy vultures; yes, in the past it helped keep the club afloat but now there's no need to sell. Not only that I am also sick of seeing Saints products go to big clubs only for lying managers to claim all the credit for their discovery and development.

The key will be the kid himself. If he is happy to stay and learn his trade then saints wont sell no matter the offer. Problem comes if the kid says he wants away, especially as sure Cortese will say no then you have an unhappy player.

Think we will get offers as no matter what NA says cant stop these clubs bidding, I am sure some clubs wish we wouldnt bid for their players with our buying clout. Think no matter what happens Cortese will reject them all and whether he likes it or not Chamberlain will be a Saints player for rest of season at least.

A read-worthy post on the Echo website....

The rumour mill is spinning like a top as usual. There are some simple facts we have to face, we may be independently owned and debt free but if we have a player that can command a £10m fee, or more, then the business man at the top will be thinking hard. Could that money be used to get two/three top championship players? AOC has very little experience, only time will tell if his early promise matures into a top premiership level player.

It will depend on a couple of things
1) How key does Nigel Adkins see him as part of the team? Nigel is building a team for the future. Would his departure make a big impact on our promotion chances? Tough call.
2) Do we think we can keep him longer term if we refuse a transfer now, in that case all we are after is a bigger fee.? If he stays the offers will come along at every transfer window.

If he does stay, and we get promoted, then at the very least he will have at least one more season outside the premiership. He's young and will have the agents working overtime trying to set up a deal for him. At his age he will be thinking of the big time a-la-Walcott and it will be very difficult indeed to keep him long term. It will depend on his personal integrity, greed, who advises him and what he thinks Southampton can achieve long term. This is truly a test of player commitment and Saints ambition.

I really hope he stays, but something in the back of my mind tells me that a third division team seldom turns down the massive sums that are being mentioned in the press.

Makes life interesting though.

Paper talk today that man U are taking an interest.

Alf Tupper wrote:Paper talk today that man U are taking an interest.

Yep......see my post above at 2.11pm yesterday.

Had to laugh at this headline....

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/arsenal-brink-agreeing-oxlade-chamberlain-terms-ipswich-1384401