Chelsea Leapfrog Liverpool, Manchester City In Race To Sign Arsenal Star

Premier League champions Chelsea are hoping to beat Liverpool and Manchester City to the signature of Arsenal star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, according to reports.

Chelsea plan to begin negotiations with Arsenal in the coming days for the right winger, who is eager to depart the Emirates Stadium outfit after they failed to qualify for the Champions League.

With Oxlade-Chamberlain's contract with Arsenal set to run out at the end of the 2017-18 season, both club and player are locked in talks over an extension.

The Daily Express has claimed that the England international will not be signing the £100,000-a-week deal the club have offered him.

The 23-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Arsenal in the summer of 2011 after spending eleven years at Southampton.

He has resumed pre-season training with Arsene Wenger's side and was involved in matches against Chelsea, WS Wanderers and Sydney FC.

Igho Kingsley

Photo Credit : arsenal.com