What stands in the way of Portsmouth-born Champions League winner joining Sheffield United and making long-awaited Fratton Park debut next season

Reports in Turkey, where the former Arsenal and Liverpool player currently plays for Besiktas, claim the Blades are eyeing up a move for the 35-times-capped England international as they look to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.

But water has already been poured on the chances of the 30-year-old midfielder making the switch to Bramall Lane and potentially lining up against the Blues for the first time in his 14-year  career - a career path that has also denied the son of Pompey hero Mark Chamberlain a maiden senior runout at Fratton Park!

As Our sister title, The Sheffield Star, points out, there’s several stumbling blocks that make such a move unlikely. The most pertinent is the former St John’s College, Southsea, pupil’s expected wages, with the report suggesting Oxlade-Chamberlain earns around £50,000-a-week (including bonuses) at the Istanbul club that has been his home for the past year.

Apparently, that type of salary figure is not something the Blades can entertain, despite spending three of the past five years in the Premier League. Indeed, funds are believed to be tight under the ownership of Saudi businessman Prince Abdullah, who is currently negotiating the sale of the club.

As a result, boss Chris Wilder is reportedly working on loans, free transfers and ‘small fee’ signings during the transfer window that opened last Friday.

That appears to rule out a move for Chamberlain, who won the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool and has three FA Cup winners’ medals from his time at Arsenal. The Portsmouth-born ace has also racked up £47m in transfer fees during his playing days, with Liverpool paying £35m when they lured him to Anfield from the Emirates Stadium in 2017.

Unfortunately, Pompey can take no credit for Oxlade-Chamberlain’s development. Dad Mark, who featured 167 times for the Blues during a six-year stay at PO4, signed him up for Southampton when he was part of the Saints’ coaching set-up in the late 1990s/early 2000s. And although a move back to Fratton Park followed, Mark resisted then head of youth operations Paul Hart’s overtures to bring the merging talent with him. And, oh, how Pompey’s bitter rivals benefitted, with the midfielder making 43 appearances for the Southampton before being sold to Arsenal for £12m in 2011.

Indeed, the closest Oxlaide-Chamberlain came to play for his home town was when he played for Portsmouth Schools!

Of course, the name Chamberlain has donned the Blues shirt since dad Mark left for Brighton in 1994. Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain featured once for the club after coming through the Blues’ youth ranks. That came in a 2-0 defeat to Exeter in the EFL Trophy in 2015 - but it was the midfielder’s one and only appearance for the club, as he was allowed to join Notts County on a free transfer in 2018 without lining up for the first team again.

Now 25, Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain currently plays for National League side Kidderminster, whom he featured 27 times for last season.

It will be interesting to see whether older brother Alex lines up next season. If it is at a Championship, it would be good to see him grace Fratton Park for the first time in his career!