Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain wants pay rise at Arsenal

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is targeting a bumper deal at Arsenal before committing his long-term future to the Gunners. He has 18 months left on his contract and is yet to be handed a new deal at the Emirates.

The north London club's defender Hector Bellerin signed a new long-term deal in November. His new deal will keep him at the club until 2023 and that will see him earn weekly wages of £100,000 ($123,495).

According to Goal.com, Oxlade-Chamberlain is looking for a deal similar to that of Bellerin before signing an extension. He is currently earning £65,000-a-week ($80,271 per week) and he wants his wages to be improved to put pen to paper.

The England international has seen his first team appearances being limited, and has starred in only eight Premier League matches this term. The Arsenal attacker is fighting with Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Alex Iwobi for a place in the starting lineup.

Arsene Wenger has deployed the Chilean international in the centre-forward position for this season. Despite that, Oxlade-Chamberlain has struggled to get regular playing time this term, which has forced him to settle for some time on the bench. Even when he has started, the winger completed 90 minutes only once this campaign.

Earlier in October, Oxlade-Chamberlain admitted that he will consider his future at Arsenal after the end of the 2016/17 season. However, Wenger is keen on keeping the former Southampton man at the Emirates beyond 2018.

"I want Oxlade-Chamberlain to stay at the club. I bought him at a very young age, I think he's developing well. This season he's making steps, moving forward," Wenger said, as quoted by Goal.com.

"When you've invested so much time and work in a player, and the player loves it here and is integrated in the qualities we want him to have..... overall, I want him to stay."

Oxlade-Chamberlin now joins the Arsenal star duo of Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in demanding an improved deal. The trio's contract will expire in 2018 and the former La Liga duo want a new contract that will put them among the Premier League's top earners. Both these players have not signed an extension with the Gunners.

Meanwhile, Liverpool were rumoured to be interested in Oxlade-Chamberlain. However, the Reds boss Jurgen Klopp put the speculation to bed by labelling the report as "nonsense."