Carl Jenkinson could finally be on his way out of Arsenal as we understand from recent reports. Since 2011, he has been at the Emirates and has played just 62 times for the Gunners. In those few years, only one season was impressive for him when he was at West Ham United under Sam Allardyce and as per Express Sport, Big Sam wants him once again. The report claims that Arsenal are unlikely to stand in his way.
At the moment, Arsenal letting Jenkinson go seems unlikely because they are short of options at right-back if Hector Bellerin is down with an injury or suspended. Mathieu Debuchy is clearly not good enough for that. Probably in the summer, Arsenal will let him leave the club but this one will be hard to pull off now. However, if Big Sam can strike a deal for the 24-year-old now, it will be a good one for the Eagles.
Jenkinson has been a highly-rated full-back from a very early age. He came out of the academy of Charlton Athletic and despite not playing much, Wenger made a move for the Englishman and in his early days at the North London club, he seemed to be a pretty decent player who can be groomed to a regular in the next few years. However, a series of injuries had held him back time and time again.
For the sake of his career, Jenkinson needs to move on from Arsenal and Crystal Palace would be a good destination for him. He is well-known to the manager and being a full-back who is defensively solid, he will be a big addition to Palace who badly needs defensive solidity. Martin Kelley has clearly not done a good job since he moved to Selhurst Park from Liverpool and Jenkinson would be an upgrade over him.
Joel Ward is one of the best full-backs outside the bigger clubs and he is more than capable of playing at left-back. Jenkinson’s move will mean that Allardyce wants Ward to keep playing at left-back. If Jenkinson can stay injury-free, he can be a big success at Crystal Palace.
The 1-time capped English international has what it takes to become a key player for a mid-table club. More than playing for a big team, he needs a manager who trusts him and plays him regularly. For the player, this will be a brilliant move without any shadow of a doubt.
