Arsenal may be having somewhat of a defensive crisis, but that seemingly isn’t going to stop Arsene Wenger from ensuring the best possible future for this young defender.
Calum Chambers has had a tough time since joining Arsenal from Southampton in 2014.
Over the years he has seen his game-time diminish, and when given a chance he has largely failed to impress.
He was catapulted into the spotlight on the opening day of the 2016/17 season, forced into a mismatched Arsenal defensive line alongside Rob Holding – with the Gunners conceding four disappointing goals on that day.
He was expected to be retained this season, with both Gabriel and Per Mertesacker both out with long term injuries; but that no longer looks likely to be the case.
According to the Daily Mail, Arsene Wenger has made Calum Chambers available for loan this season, with the Arsenal boss keen to allow the young defender an entire season to rebuild his confidence and re-find his form.
Crucially, they add that a long-term move/sale is not an option, with Wenger keen to see how the young defender develops over the coming season.
At present, no clubs are linked with a move for the talented defender, but in June the Daily Mail reported that he was set for a Watford move, with a deal reportedly close at that time.
Whilst that didn’t happen at that point, it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility that the Hornets come back in for the England international now that he is available.
Whilst recent appearances may put off some prospective buyers, they should definitely take Chambers’ historical form into account…
As this table, provided by whoscored.com suggests, he impressed during his final year with Southampton, eventually displacing Nathaniel Clyne in a season where he made over 20 Premier League appearances.
This fine form continued into his first year with Arsenal, bagging an impressive average rating of 7.0.
Since then however his form has dipped in correlation with a reduced number of appearances. If he is given another chance at regular first team football however – he could find himself back to his best in no time.
Arsenal fans – we want to hear from you! Would you like to see Chambers go out on loan, or should he be given another chance?
Let us know below!
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