Liverpool star cost Arsenal £1.4million in transfer fees due to 'mad' contract clause

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain enjoyed a six-year career at Liverpool(Image: 2017 Liverpool FC)

Arsenal were obliged to fork out £1.4million to Southampton following their sale of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool, due to an inventive clause in his contract.

The ex-England international became the Gunners' highest sale in 2017 – a record that still holds – when he joined the Reds in 2017 for an initial £35million, potentially rising to £40m.

The 32-year-old started his career with his childhood club Southampton and spent just one season of his professional career with the Saints before securing a £15m transfer to the Emirates in 2011.

The financial deal was made up of an initial £12m fee with an additional £3m to be paid in potential add-ons.

Of Oxlade-Chamberlain's 198 appearances for the club, he only started 115 of them, reports the Mirror.

This topic was discussed on the That Peter Crouch Podcast in 2024 as the former Liverpool striker and ex-Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell were left puzzled by the apparent existence of such a clause.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain became a Premier League winner during his time at Anfield

Sidwell, appearing on the podcast, expressed his disbelief: "Our researchers, is this real?

Hold on, every 20 minutes?" Crouch then interjected: "I don't know if that's true [but] that is madness."

This clause resulted in a £1.4m bonus for Southampton as Oxlade-Chamberlain went on to play 20 or more minutes in 85 Premier League matches, 25 Champions League games, 18 FA Cup fixtures and nine EFL Cup ties during his six-year stint at Arsenal.

The unattached midfielder – who had a two-year spell at Besiktas following his departure from Liverpool in 2023 – will undoubtedly be an eager spectator this afternoon when his two former clubs, Liverpool and Arsenal, face off at Anfield.

Oxlade-Chamberlain spent six years at Arsenal(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Both sides have claimed victory in their first two league matches, with Mikel Arteta's team leading the table on goal difference after a 1-0 triumph over Manchester United and a resounding 5-0 win against Leeds United.

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Despite matching Arsenal's pair of victories, the current league champions have had a more turbulent journey to their wins.

They began their season with an exhilarating 4-2 victory over Bournemouth, followed by a nail-biting 3-2 win over Newcastle United, thanks to Rio Ngumoha's 100th-minute decider.

Liverpool haven't managed to secure a win against Arsenal in their last six Premier League encounters, with their most recent league success against the Gunners dating back to March 2022.

While at Anfield, he won five trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League.