Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain transfer future unclear after brutal Besiktas snub

Former Liverpool star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's stint in Istanbul with Besiktas looks to be over before it ever truly began.

The club has announced he's surplus to requirements and can exit this transfer window. The 31-year-old, who left Liverpool a year ago following a six-year spell at Anfield, has had a tough time since his move to Turkey.

Despite finishing a respectable sixth last season and clinching the Turkish Cup in a nail-biting 3-2 win over Trabzonspor, Oxlade-Chamberlain was notably sidelined during the crucial match as an unused sub. His recent exclusion from the team's preseason tour squad to Slovenia only adds to a sense of alienation.

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The rift appears even more pronounced given the awkward omission on his birthday, 15 August, particularly stinging as another player's special day was celebrated but his own ignored.

Besiktas instead chose to spotlight Semih Kilicsoy's birthday on X, with a post: "Today is our football player Semih Kilicsoy's birthday. Happy birthday Semih, happy birthday!"

Oxlade-Chamberlain found no tribute on the clubs social platforms, and it's understood that his representatives are now scoping out a return to England for him. He still has two years left to serve on his Besiktas deal.

There's been talk of a move to either Fulham or Southampton in the Premier League, or even a move to Sheffield United in the Championship. But with just under two weeks to go until the transfer window closes, he will need to get a move on.