Aston Villa have announced the arrival of Arsenal defender Calum Chambers on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
In an official statement, Aston Villa have confirmed the arrival of Calum Chambers. The English defender arrives from Arsenal, penning a three-and-a-half-year deal lasting until 2023. The fee remains undisclosed, as confirmed by both the teams, though it is being speculated that there is no transfer fee involved.
Chambers becomes Aston Villa’s fourth scalp in the winter transfer window, following the arrivals of Lucas Digne, Robin Olsen and Philippe Coutinho, who joined from Barcelona on a short-term loan deal.
Chambers was quick to voice his delight after signing for Aston Villa. “It’s a massive club, and they’re in a great moment at this moment in time. It’s a very exciting place to be, and everyone can see that from the outside. Things are happening here, and it’s definitely moving in the right direction.”
“For me, it was a no-brainer to join a great club. It was the right thing for me to do,” said the ex-Arsenal defender, who had only featured in two Premier League matches this term prior to his move to Villa Park. He is now likely to serve as the primary alternative for first-choice duo Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings, while his arrival may also lead to Aston Villa abandoning their reported pursuit of Joe Gomez.
? Emirates FA Cup
? Community ShieldThanks for everything, @CalumChambers95 ?
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 27, 2022
On the flip side, the former Southampton defender is the fourth major departure from Arsenal in January. The Gunners have already offloaded the likes of Sead Kolasinac (Marseille), Pablo Mari (Udinese) and Ainsley Maitland-Niles (AS Roma) either on loan or on a permanent deal.
The mass exodus suggests a change in the air for Mikel Arteta’s team. The Arsenal boss is evidently keen on a major rebuild, and while he has not had much luck of doing so in the offensive department, he has clearly succeeded in offloading most of the fringe players in defensive unit.
However, with only a few days left before the January transfer window slams to a shut, the Gunners must move swiftly in order to address the holes left behind by the respective players. Although Arteta appears to be very happy with his current options at centre-back, it won’t be surprising to see the Arsenal coach going after a new option, with Pape Abou Cisse a reported target.
