Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joins Celtic on short-term deal

Celtic have completed the signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the experienced midfielder joining on a deal until the summer that includes an option for a further year, subject to international clearance.

The 32-year-old arrives in Glasgow with a heavyweight CV and the versatility to play both in central midfield and on the right, offering Martin O’Neill extra quality and depth for the run-in. If he can stay fit, he looks like a smart addition to a squad still fighting on multiple fronts.

Oxlade-Chamberlain comes to Celtic with 35 England caps and a career spent at the highest level. After coming through the academy at Southampton, he broke into the first team as a teenager, making 43 appearances and scoring 10 goals before earning a big move to Arsenal in 2011.

During six years in north London, he played close to 200 games and won three FA Cups, becoming known for his energy, ball-carrying, and ability to play in several positions across midfield and attack.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joins Celtic on short-term deal

In 2017, he joined Liverpool, where he enjoyed the most successful spell of his career. Over six seasons at Anfield, he collected a Premier League title, a Champions League, a League Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup, contributing goals and assists in a side competing regularly for major honours.

His most recent club was Besiktas in Turkey, where he added the Turkish Cup to his medal collection in 2023. On the international stage, he scored seven goals for England, including one at Hampden against Scotland in a World Cup qualifier – a strike Celtic fans will remember well.

After leaving Turkey, Oxlade-Chamberlain had been training with Arsenal to maintain his fitness while assessing his next move. Celtic have now given him the chance to relaunch his career in Glasgow at a club where his experience, professionalism, and winning mentality should carry real weight in the dressing room.

O’Neill welcomed the deal, stressing both the player’s pedigree and his hunger to make an impact. The manager said Celtic are bringing in someone who “still has so much to offer the game” and can “add another dimension” with his ability and experience, noting that the midfielder himself is “passionate and excited” about the move.