Player said to be preparing to sign for Southampton – Asks for huge compensation amount first

According to a claim in the Turkish media, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s proposed transfer to Southampton is being held up because of his demands from his current club Besiktas.

The 30-year-old has been linked with a return to the Premier League side after becoming surplus to requirements with the Black Eagles.

Sporx report Besiktas are looking to offload Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer as they want to get him off their wage bill. However, the player has responded by asking for a year of his salary as compensation if he agrees to terminate his contract. He reportedly earns €2.5m a season.

Besiktas, who gave Oxlade-Chamberlain a €1.5m signing on fee last summer, have reportedly responded negatively to this. Sporx say he’s preparing to sign for Southampton in this window, but a middle ground needs to be found between the midfielder and Besiktas.

Last month we covered reports from the Turkish press that Southampton were in talks to sign the former Liverpool and Arsenal man. Sheffield United were also said to be interested.

Oxlade-Chamberlain made 30 appearances for Besiktas last season, scoring 4 goals. He’s contracted to the club until June 2026.