Jürgen Klopp has claimed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s move from Arsenal came as “a kind of relief” to the England international.
The 24-year-old will make his first Liverpool start in the Carabao Cup tie at Leicester City on Tuesday, having made three substitute appearances since signing for an initial £35m on transfer deadline day. Oxlade-Chamberlain spent six years at Arsenal where Arsène Wenger cited a lack of self-belief as one of the reasons the midfielder struggled to establish himself at the Emirates Stadium.
Klopp believes there are no confidence issues with his new signing and that a fresh start with Liverpool will enable Oxlade-Chamberlain to make the next step in his development.
The Liverpool manager said: “It would be strange for me to say it after two and half weeks when Arsène Wenger said this after working with him for six years. But a new start is very often a kind of relief, that’s how it is. You are in a situation with your old club – and I don’t say this about Alex specifically – and you accept it and it is difficult to make the next step.
“I thought it made complete sense for Alex to change club and to come here. So far I can’t see that [he lacks self-belief]. He has settled in perfectly. He knows the situation. He played all the games for Arsenal from the beginning and now he comes here and is on the bench so it looks ‘Oh, not the best decision’ but it is long-term thing. We want to use him and to prepare him also. It is all good from this side at the moment.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain said the opportunity to develop under Klopp was a key factor in his decision to leave a more lucrative contract at Arsenal unsigned and join Liverpool. And his new manager admits the player can still make “big steps” in his game.
Klopp said: “I played against Arsenal when Alex was in centre-mid, when he was on the wing and when he was wing‑back. It is the highest quality if you can play in different positions in the Premier League. That says a lot about you. The judgment from outside may be that you don’t develop but playing different positions is development. Probably when Alex was 18 or 19 people thought he would be ‘The Man’ – as people think a lot of times pretty early – and immediately you put a rucksack on their back. That makes development not easy. He’s at a perfect age and is still able to make big steps.
“I thought he played the last game like a Liverpool player – highest intensity, not fixed on a position, flexible, in the box. I saw already a lot of things and in the end he didn’t hit the goal, so I’m sure a lot of people are now saying he is a proper Liverpool player – doing everything right but in the end not scoring. I am really happy to have him here. I hope he is also happy to be here.”
Klopp confirmed the third-choice goalkeeper Danny Ward and the Serbia midfielder Marko Grujic will start the third‑round tie at the King Power Stadium.
