Ex-Gunner’s Celtic future in doubt

Ex-Gunner’s Celtic future in doubt Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain earned a new contract after helping Celtic to silverware, but regular football has since proved harder to come by. Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is facing an uncertain future at Celtic after struggling to establish himself in the side just months after signing a new one-year contract. The former Arsenal midfielder has found regular football difficult to come by, with Callum McGregor , Mika Baur and Benjamin Nygren generally ahead of him in Martin O’Neill ’s plans. A Glasgow Times report late last month noted that Oxlade-Chamberlain’s only league involvement across Celtic’s previous six matches had been a 30-minute appearance in the 7-1 win over Hearts . He has started just four matches this season out of a possible 20. It is a sharp contrast to the optimism surrounding his arrival in February. Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images After several months without a club, Oxlade-Chamberlain made an immediate impact by scoring a stoppage-time winner against Livingston on his debut. He went on to make 12 appearances as Celtic won the league and Scottish Cup, earning a contract extension in July. The 33-year-old’s career began its rise in north London after he joined Arsenal from Southampton in August 2011. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images He spent six seasons with the club, scoring 20 goals, with 28 assists, in 198 appearances and winning three FA Cups. When fit, his pace and directness allowed him to play in several positions before he left with one year remaining on his contract. Liverpool paid £35 million for him in 2017 and he later collected Premier League and Champions League winners’ medals, although injuries also interrupted his time at Anfield. A move to Beşiktaş followed in 2023. Oxlade-Chamberlain made 50 appearances and scored five goals across two seasons in Turkey, but continuing fitness problems preceded the mutual termination of his contract in July 2025, a year before it was due to expire. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images He then returned to Arsenal to train and maintain his fitness before joining Celtic. With his contract running until next summer and opportunities currently limited, Oxlade-Chamberlain now faces another fight to force his way into regular contention and establish where he fits in O’Neill’s side.