Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left Arsenal’s training ground and became an instant hero at Celtic.
The midfielder left Arsenal back in 2017 to sign for Liverpool, but he returned to North London again to train with Mikel Arteta’s side.
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s time training at Arsenal just ended, as he signed for Celtic as a free agent, having not played domestically since leaving Besiktas in August 2025.
The 32-year-old might not have played competitively for nine months, but upon making his Celtic debut, it became clear that there were no cobwebs.
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Would things have been different for Oxlade-Chamberlain at Arsenal had Arsene Wenger used him in midfield?
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain proves he still has it on his Celtic debut after Arsenal transfer links
Oxlade-Chamberlain came on as a 78th-minute substitute when Celtic were disastrously drawing 1-1 against Livingston.
13 minutes later, he scored the match-winner, converting a sublime curling shot in stoppage-time to send Celtic Park into delirium.
It was the moment that Oxlade-Chamberlain had been dreaming of for months while he trained at Arsenal, waiting to return to competitive action.
Though the match-winner was a moment of elation for the Englishman, it might’ve forced some at Arsenal to reflect.
There was a possibility, a slim one nonetheless, that Arsenal could’ve signed Oxlade-Chamberlain before he left to join Celtic.
It seemed bizarre, but now it doesn’t, not only because of his goal, but because of the building list of midfield absences at Arsenal.
After Mikel Merino underwent surgery, it was announced that Kai Havertz is set to miss several weeks.
The two events provided a response to the question as to whether signing Oxlade-Chamberlain as a precaution would have been beneficial: the answer is yes.
Comments after Oxlade-Chamberlain’s Celtic debut suggest Arsenal missed out
Scoring against Livingston doesn’t mean that a return to the Premier League would have worked for Oxlade-Chamberlain, but it’s so clear that the midfielder has so much to offer.
Martin O’Neill lauded the former Liverpool man’s ‘class’ after the game, singling out his experience of playing at the top.
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“He’s been a class player, there’s no question about it. He’s played for big teams, and he’s performed brilliantly,” O’Neill said.
He continued by revealing the level of impact that Oxlade-Chamberlain has had in training.
“He’s made a big impact, believe it or not, even in the training sessions with the rest of the players.”
While there’s no doubt that Arsenal have moved way past players of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s current profile, there’s equally little doubt that he could’ve been a smart free signing.
Will the Gunners live to regret not adding another experienced body to their midfield? Only time will tell.
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