Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Perrie Edwards at the Brit Awards at London’s O2 Arena in February 2019
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s £120,000 a week contract at Liverpool hasn’t made it any easier for him to find a house.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who is dating Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards, says there is a shortage of mansions in Cheshire which is surrounded by high value football clubs.
The so-called Golden Triangle between Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Prestbury does not have enough houses for the lavish athletes, according to the England player.
After making his £35 million move to Merseyside from Arsenal in August 2017, Oxlade-Chamberlain said he would regularly bump into Gylfi Sigurdsson at the hotel he was staying at while house hunting.
Sigurdsson signed to Everton from Swansea that transfer window and Oxlade-Chamberlain told The Telegraph they were ‘both scrambling for a house, probably viewing the same house and then it’s like a race.
‘I might see a house and be stalling for a day and next thing I get a call and, oh no, Aaron Lennon [formerly Everton, now at Burnley] has paid up front.
‘I go and view a house and I’m told, “Just to let you know, Riyad Mahrez is viewing it today.” I’m thinking, “Oh God, I’ve got my work cut out there – Mahrez has signed for City.”‘
Premier League players get bought and sold in two windows – one in January and the other from mid-May to the end of August.
This limited time means there is more of a ‘scramble,’ according to the England midfielder.
Former England and Manchester United player Ashley Ward and his wife Dawn have reportedly struggled to sell Watford Hall which has been on the market since 2013
The colossal 11-bedroom mansion belonging to the Wards minutes away from Alderly Edge was designed by W Roberts and built in 1867
Former Manchester United player Wes Brown found himself struggling to sell his Prestbury mansion after moving to Sunderland in 2010, the pad was on the market for £4.5 million, before he cut the price tag down to £3 million
Former Manchester United stars Wes Brown (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo (right) were still struggling to sell their Golden Triangle properties after moving on to Sunderland and Real Madrid respectively
The average price for a house in the Golden Triangle is £1 million – but estate agents struggle because the stars have specific criteria for modern technology, expansive gardens, swimming pools and wall-to-wall security.
Furthermore, many of the players are wary of a big purchase as their contracts are often short and they could be forced to move elsewhere in the country or overseas.
Peter Higham, an estate agent who handles footballers in the area, told The Telegraph: ‘Because the modern footballer very rarely stays at one club for more than a few years, the agents are telling them to rent – because they could be somewhere else in a few years’ time.’
Emile Heskey’s mansion in Cheshire which was put on the market in September 2014 – they were still struggling to find a buyer almost a year after it was listed – the mansion is nestled in the leafy suburbs of the Golden Triangle
Former Manchester United player Mikael Silvestre put this six-bed property worth £4.2 million on the market in August 2008 and was still looking for a buyer at least seven years after it was listed
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo was forced to rent his Cheshire pad to Manchester United’s Luke Shaw following his exit to Real Madrid, the five-bed property comes complete with pool, Jacuzzi, gym and wine store and had a price tag of £3.8million
The Golden Triangle is located in leafy Cheshire between the towns of Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Prestbury – convenient for Premier League players at Liverpool and Everton, as well as Manchester City and Manchester United
He said the footballer’s of yesteryear would have stayed somewhere for most of their career but this generation are constantly on the move.
The rental market is more obscene than the buyers’, with tenants shelling out £15,000 a month for a pad.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is reportedly signing a 12-month contract extension, so will have more time to consider properties should he still need it.