Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain heads to Manchester City for Arsenal’s Premier League fixture at the Etihad Stadium under fresh speculation that Pep Guardiola will try to sign him when the transfer window reopens in January.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claimed last week that contract talks have begun with a number of players, including Oxlade-Chamberlain, but it has since been revealed that the England international has not been spoken to about negotiating his current deal.

Wenger has previously insisted that he will not sell Oxlade-Chamberlain under any circumstances, but The Sun claims that Guardiola will proceed with a bid for the 23-year-old. Arsenal’s focus is currently on tying Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez down to new deals given they only have 18 months left on their current contracts, with both proving hard to reach a conclusion with.

Wenger’s public claim that talks had started with Oxlade-Chamberlain caught the midfielder by surprise, and the report adds that he will consider his personal options next month even if Arsenal reject any approach from City.

Guardiola is a known fan of Oxlade-Chamberlain after being impressed by his performance against Bayern Munich in 2014, and City are willing to hand him a significant pay rise from his current £70,000-a-week salary. Arsenal will also hand Oxlade-Chamberlain an increase of wages, although whether it would match City’s offer remains to be seen given the difference in what the two clubs pay their players.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has struggled to secure a regular berth in Arsene Wenger’s first-team in recent years, with a string of injuries and inconsistent form hampering his chances of enjoying a prolonged spell in the side.

Arsenal transfer targets Show all 7 1 /7 Arsenal transfer targets Arsenal transfer targets Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund) Arsenal were reportedly interested in signing the Gabonese striker in the summer and may return with an offer to Dortmund at the end of the season. Aubameyang has been in scintillating form this season, scoring 15 goals in 15 games in all competitions. Getty Arsenal transfer targets Paul-Georges Ntep (Rennes) The left-midfielder’s deal at Rennes expires at the end of the season and so he will be free to sign a pre-contract in January. A strong dribbler of the ball, Ntep has been made two appearances for France. Getty Arsenal transfer targets Reece Oxford (West Ham) After Oxford became West Ham’s youngest ever player to appear in the Premier League at just 16 years old (his debut came against the Gunners), he immediately attracted interest from some of England’s big clubs, including Arsenal. However he is reportedly set to sign a new five-year deal. Getty Arsenal transfer targets Jose Gimenez (Atletico Madrid) The 21-year-old Uruguayan has already played 21 times for his country and has been touted as a future world-class centre-back. Currently on the books of Atletico Madrid, Gimenez is not a regular and a move in January would surely appeal to him. Getty Arsenal transfer targets Peter Gwargis - Husqvarna “Who?” you may ask. The Swedish midfielder is just 16 years old and has been compared to current Arsenal attacker Mesut Özil after he started training with the Husqvarna first team in his home country. The Gunners face competition from PSV for his signature according to the player’s representative. Getty Arsenal transfer targets Stefan de Vrij (Lazio) The Netherlands defender is contracted to Lazio until 2019 but has been linked with a move to Chelsea and Arsenal. De Vrij, who used to play for Feyenoord in his home country, has been in good form this season as Lazio sit fourth in Serie A. Getty Arsenal transfer targets Chris Smalling (Manchester United) After Jose Mourinho’s strong public criticism of the England defender, other Premier League clubs have been put on alert if Smalling decides he wants to leave the Manchester club. Getty

City have a history of making big-name signings from Arsenal, with the likes of Samir Nasri, Emmanuel Adebayor, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and Kolo Toure all heading to north from the Emirates Stadium, while both Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta have retired from football to go on and take up coaching roles with the club.

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