Martin O’Neill has revealed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will have a medical today ahead of signing a short-term deal with Celtic.
The 32-year-old former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder, capped 35 times for England, has been a free agent since leaving Turkish side Besiktas in August.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been training with Arsenal but, ahead of this evening’s Scottish Cup tie against Dundee at Parkhead, O’Neill expects to add him to his squad for the rest of the season.
‘I spoke to him this morning, I think he wants to come and I think he’s coming,’ said O’Neill yesterday.
‘I would have assumed he’s gotten a number of options. I think there was even talk about Arsenal, where he is training, might take him on because they might pick up a couple of injuries, so I’m delighted that he’s going to come, so he says.
‘So I think he’s doing a medical tomorrow and, all being well, I’m hoping that he signs on.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s spent two seasons with Besiktas before being released in May.
Martin O’Neill is looking forward to working with the midfielder over the coming months
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been training with former club Arsenal since becoming a free agent
‘This boy is here to try and play, and try and get into the team, and try and get as fit as possible as quickly as possible.
‘I think it would be nice to have him here with the squad, just for at least these couple of months.’
Oxlade-Chamberlain will be signed too late to be included in Celtic’s squad for the Europa League ties against Stuttgart later this month.
He will arrive in the midst of a civil war at Parkhead between fans and board and, indeed, with supporters themselves split over a proposed boycott, starting with the cup game against Dundee.
The Celtic Fans Collective, who represents hundreds of groups, announced the plans amid ongoing frustration with the board.
The umbrella group again demanded the departure of chief executive Michael Nicholson, the reinstatement of the banned Green Brigade, the Parkhead club’s ultras group, and the restoration of club access to fan media groups.
Celtic interim chairman Brian Wilson has reached out to supporter groups in a bid for unity and O’Neill is looking for some sort of middle ground before the situation becomes what he described as ‘debilitating’.
The 73-year-old said: ‘What I would like, if it’s at all possible, is some meetings which I think Mr Wilson said was going to take place, which is a big step forward.
Interim Brian Wilson has reached out to supporter groups ahead of this weekend’s protest
‘Let’s find out what all the ailments are and let’s see if we can rectify some of them, because going forward the club will trip itself up if that’s the case. Eventually it’s debilitating and it does affect people.
‘And Celtic have always prided themselves in a sort of togetherness, and it is strange, really, for it to be in this shape. So we do need the fans in.
‘You saw Falkirk manager John McGlynn saying that the atmosphere here can turn toxic pretty quickly and that’s not something you want to hear from opposition managers.
‘Maybe these meetings might be too late before tomorrow’s game, but if they’re talking about some sort of show at Stuttgart, I think we should try and have some sort of talks before then.
‘There has to be a middle ground somewhere along the way, as to how quickly we can reach that is probably in the lap of the Gods.
‘But it would just be nice to know what all of the complaints are about or the club’s attempt at least to rectify those.’
