A remarkable clause in an Arsenal player's contract saw the Gunners pay out a huge sum in appearance fees

Arsenal used to have to pay Southampton £10,000 every time Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played more than 20 minutes of football due to a clause in his contract.

The midfielder spent six years at the Emirates Stadium, having been signed as a promising youngster from Southampton back in 2011. Oxlade-Chamberlain left Arsenal to join Liverpool in 2017, becoming the Gunners’ most expensive sale after completing his £40million switch.

There, the 33-year-old spent six more seasons before joining Besiktas in 2023 and Celtic earlier this year. He will be watching eagerly on Sunday afternoon as his two former clubs - Arsenal and Liverpool - face off in the Premier League at Anfield.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s £15m move to the Gunners 15 years ago has received plenty of attention in recent years. That’s because Arsenal at the time paid a £12m sum upfront, alongside a further £3m tied to performance-related add-ons.

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While that represented an astute piece of business by Arsene Wenger, one particular add-on was linked to the amount of playing time he would receive in north London. As outlined in Alan Gernon's 2018 book, The Transfer Market: The Inside Stories, Oxlade-Chamberlain's initial contract with Arsenal contained a clause obligating the club to pay Southampton £10,000 each time he appeared for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Prior to that revelation, Arsenal supporters were mystified by the fact that such a gifted player was regularly introduced late in matches during his early career, often as a substitute on or after the 71st minute mark. In total, just 115 of his 198 appearances for Arsenal were as a starter.

Despite Wenger's attempts to keep costs at a minimum, Arsenal still splashed out around £1.4m on Oxlade-Chamberlain's appearance fees throughout his six-year spell - roughly half of the maximum £3m cap imposed on performance-based add-ons.

The subject resurfaced during a 2024 episode of the That Peter Crouch Podcast, as the former Liverpool forward and his co-host, retired Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, reacted with astonishment to the revelation.

Discussing the Englishman's contract, Crouch said: "Every time Oxlade-Chamberlain played 20 minutes or more for Arsenal they would have to pay Southampton an extra £10,000."

A surprised Sidwell nervously laughed before asking: "Is this real? Hold on, every 20 minutes?" to which Crouch responded: "That is madness."

A passage from Gernon's book reads: "Following Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's move to Arsenal in 2011, Gunners fans became increasingly frustrated with the midfielder's lack of playing time.

"He was predominantly used as a substitute, often around the 71-minute mark. After his contract details emerged, it all became clear: Arsenal were obliged to pay Southampton £10,000 every time he played 20 minutes or more."

Oxlade-Chamberlain never truly realised his potential at the Emirates, despite producing some moments of real quality. His displays did secure him international recognition with England, where he became the second youngest player to represent the Three Lions at a European Championship in 2012.

He accumulated 35 caps for his country between 2012 and 2019 and collected three FA Cup winners' medals in four years before his move to Liverpool, where he went on to claim the Premier League, Champions League and EFL Cup.