Aston Villa are reportedly interested in former Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as Unai Emery prepares to bolster his squad this transfer window.

The Spaniard has had a strong start to the summer by acquiring the talents of Youri Tielemans, Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby, however, there are expected to be more arrivals at Villa Park.

Who wants to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain?

As reported by Sky Sports yesterday, both Villa and Brentford are chasing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is a free agent following the expiry of his contract at Anfield.

In their Transfer Centre, Sky Sports added that the midfielder has ‘already turned down’ lucrative offers from abroad with the desire to remain in England.

It was reported back in June by Football Insider that the Villans had been in ‘advanced talks’ for the 29-year-old, with a fresh update suggesting that the club remain in pursuit of the former England international.

What position could Oxlade-Chamberlain play at Aston Villa?

Having made 235 Premier League appearances, the midfielder has taken up a host of positions throughout his career, finding the most joy operating in central midfield.

Deployed primarily on the right flank while at Arsenal, the Portsmouth-born gem was renowned for his pace and strength in wide areas, however, struggled to consistently get among the goals.

Jurgen Klopp restored the faith in the Englishman by playing him in central midfield, where he immediately bettered his scoring tally in the league to all seasons prior in north London.

Despite nearing 30 years of age, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said in the club’s final matchday programme that the former Southampton man was in the “shape of his life”, and that his next club will have “won the lottery” in signing him.

For Villa, the time is now to bolster the squad currently on show at Villa Park, as the club prepares for their return to Europe for the first time since 2010.

Emery is building something encouraging in the Midlands, and the squad could still benefit from the signing of a player who boasts such strong experience in England as the Champions League winner.

Oxlade-Chamberlain could add a host of strengths to Emery’s side, most prominently in being available to replicate the service of club captain John McGinn, to whom he bears similarities.

Like the former Liverpool ace, the Scotsman has the versatility to play anywhere in the midfield, with both talents bringing energy and stability in the middle of the park in their approach to play.

Hailed as “superb” by BBC Sport writer Raj Chohan, the Englishman could add another source of reliability in midfield to that displayed by McGinn, as suggested by their numbers.

Likened to the Villa skipper for his statistics obtained in the 2019/20 Premier League season where he was a regular for the Reds, via FBref, the midfielder showcased strengths in progressive play mirrored by McGinn.

That term, the former Arsenal ace averaged 5.88 progressive passes and 2.91 progressive carries in comparison to the 28-year-old’s 4.68 progressive passes and 1.14 progressive carries per 90 last campaign.

The Englishman also showed strengths in his creative play, averaging 1.03 key passes per 90, highlighting another area in which he could benefit the side.

In signing the free agent, Emery could arm his side with a duplicate of McGinn, who is highly valued at Villa Park.