According to latest reports, Newcastle United have already started to plan for life in the Premier League next season with their manager, Rafael Benitez, drawing up a list of transfer targets that include Arsenal’s, Calum Chambers. The centre-half has been on loan with Middlesbrough this season and quite like their underwhelming display, has had an uneventful campaign.
Only 22, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has high hopes for the player and his main motive behind loaning him off to Riverside was to solidify his defensive attributes in the centre-half role. Both the managers, the departed Aitor Karanka and the present Steve Agnew have been true to their word and have played him in Wenger’s requested role.
Newcastle gained promotion to the Premier League after a year and Benitez, who engineered their current rise with meticulous planning, expects to continue doing so this year too. A host of names came in and went out of St. James’ Park last summer and a similar thing, if not on a larger scale, is expected this summer as well
Newcastle have the perfect blend of youth and experience in the side, which make for some lucrative summer targets too, like Jamaal Lascelles, Isaac Hayden, Aleksandar Mitrovic and more. And it will be very difficult for the club to retain their services when the big sides come calling. However, courtesy of their billionaire owner, Mike Ashley, finance should not be a huge concern for the side.
The Magpies have exciting talents at the heart of the defence in Lascelles, Ciaran Clark, Grant Hanley and Chancel Mbemba, and the club is expected to dispose of some and bring in players who are more acquainted with the rigours of the Premier League. And that’s where Chambers come in.
The 22-year-old moved to North-London side, Arsenal in 2014 at the back some promising displays with Southampton. Since then he has played at the highest level, under Wenger, which includes a few appearances in the Champions League. He has been quite a regular at Boro this season too, where he appeared 22 times even scoring twice from the back.
Given that Boro have the best defending record among all teams fighting to avoid relegation, his abilities are justly highlighted. Wenger has praised his player on multiple occasion, bringing up the good development he has had with Boro this season. But, it doesn’t necessarily mean a first-team place for him just yet at the Emirates.
With the likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Gabriel Paulista and Rob Holding impressing this season, Chambers will have steep competition with the Gunners. And we expect the player to stay with the London club and fight for his place rather than take an easier route with another club.
