Hello Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain, great grandson of the British Prime Minister

By Tony Attwood

I don’t know if Southampton like Arsenal or hate Arsenal, but they are making some money out of Arsenal.  Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a winger whom Untold (and the rest of the world) predicted would sign, is undergoing a medical.  Arsenal are paying £5m now and the same again later depending on appearances.

Alex will be 18 next week, and is a bit like Theo, as far as I can see.  Theo of course also came from Southampton and turned out to be a Jolly Nice Chap.  Alex did not play for Southampton at the weekend.

Alex has played 36 league games for Southampton and scored 10 with 9 assists, plus six cup games (one goal).

Alex Chamberlain also played 45 minutes for the England under 18 squad against Poland on 16 November 2010.   On 2 February this year he joined the under 21s against Italy, coming on as a 60th minute substitute to replace Henri Lansbury.

Now the personal bit.  He is

• The son of former England International player Mark Chamberlain and
• The great grand son of Neville Chamberlain who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940.

Is that a first?

Elsewhere… Robin van Persie and Thomas Vermaelen were both injured in the game at Benfica, but will play against Newcastle on Saturday – a game that utterly mirrors our first ever football league game.  I will try and do a piece on the Arsenal History site about that first ever match, later this week.  There is less good news on Gibbs who might not make the game.  But of course before that happens there are internationals, which is rather dumb.

Jack won’t play for England and is a doubt for Newcastle.  But Theo  Walcott should play against the Newcs as should be Samir Nasri.

Meanwhile, there has been rioting in Tottenham which this morning apparently looks more like a third world country than Tottenham, although on reflection, maybe they are the same (and I say that having lived in both).

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