Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has reportedly left Besiktas after the Turkish giants terminated his contract.
The ex-Liverpool midfielder joined the Istanbul-based club in 2023 after his contract expired with the Merseyside club.
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s arrival at Besiktas was initially viewed as a coup but a succession of injuries wreaked havoc on his time at the club.
According to Turkish outlet Yeni Safak, Besiktas have torn up the midfielder’s contract meaning Oxlade-Chamberlain is now a free agent.
The report claims the Turkish club have paid a whopping £1.2million in order to release him from his deal which equated to a smaller amount than if the club has paid him the remainder of his wages.
Oxlade-Chamberlain had just 12 months to run on his contract but had little chance of turning around his fortunes under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The 31-year-old slipped down the pecking order last season under the former Manchester United boss with Solskjaer preferring to utilise other options.
The report states that Besiktas initially wanted to pay the ex-Southampton star’s severance in instalments.
However, Oxlade-Chamberlain rejected the idea and a subsequent meeting took place where a final outcome was agreed to pay the sum in full.
The midfielder’s spell in Turkey won’t go down as the most memorable of his career to date.
In 50 appearances for the Black Eagles, he netted five times and registered just one assist.
Besiktas will hope their incoming English star will fare better than the outgoing versatile midfielder with Tammy Abraham having signed for the club on loan from Roma.
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s next move could be a return to English football and the chance to reignite his career in familiar surroundings.
Championship side Leicester City were credited with an interest in the star earlier this summer and may now look to offer a contract to the free agent.
He boasts an extensive list of accolades since bursting onto the scene as a 16 year old with Southampton in 2010.
His early heroics earned him a £12m switch to Arsenal in 2011 and went on to lift the FA Cup on three separate occasions.
In 2017, he signed for Liverpool for £35m but a serious knee injury sustained in the Champions League semi-final win over Roma caused him to miss the final and the subsequent World Cup in Russia.
Oxlade-Chamberlain returned to help the Red lift the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League title in the covid-affected 2020 season.
He leaves Besiktas having helped lead the club to glory in both the Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup.