What Arsenal can expect from Calum Chambers

This just is not your typical Arsenal summer, is it?  Arsene Wenger has seemingly ditched the frugal nature with which he prefers to operate, and has made Gooners the world over incredibly happy with his summer purchases thus far, which now stand at 66million pounds in expenditures.  Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina and now, the highly rated England youngster Calum Chambers.

After last summers signing of Mesut Ozil and the ending of the trophy drought by way of their FA Cup win over Hull City, Arsenal came into this summer primed to finally make a proper push for the league, but Wenger’s inactivity in the market during the World Cup began to cause many to feel it would just be the same old story from Le Professeur – we would all be proved wrong.

While Sanchez is a brilliant signing, Debuchy a strong signing that can be considered an upgrade on the departed Bacary Sagna and Ospina is as good of a back-up keeper as you’ll come to find (and many expect him to push Wojciech Szczesny for the number one shirt), Calum Chambers is the type of signing everyone expected; this is a Wengerian signing if there ever was one, and perhaps this is the one that we should be more excited about than all the others.

Highly touted defender Calum Chambers is just one more bright player to come through the outstanding Southampton Youth Academy pipeline, and the second to come to Arsenal (Theo Walcott being the first)

While Wenger does admit that this signing does come as a bit of a gamble given the price that must be paid for English talent, the type of player that Chambers in should help ease the concerns of the supporters.  Capable of playing at right-back (his preferred position), center-back, left-back and in a holding midfield role, the England U-19 captain affords Wenger options when it comes to his development.

"“The manager said that he see’s me at right-back, center-back or holding center-midfield” – Calum Chambers, speaking with Arsenal TV"

This is just a glimpse into what Arsenal supporters can expect from Calum Chambers, but if you were to ask those associated with Southampton (and even our own Ross Bramble), Chambers is a brilliant signing that could well push fellow new signing Mathieu Debuchy for the starting job at right-back this season.

Chambers quality and versatility affords Wenger the ability to have cover in multiple areas in the first team, but it also gives the Frenchman another youth project with which he can put his rubber stamp.  Physically strong and imposing, very good going forward, strong on the ball, can play a decent ball and does not shy away from getting stuck in, Calum Chambers is a brilliant piece of business.

With the future of Thomas Vermaelen in question and the unsure nature over the ability of Carl Jenkinson, Chambers comes into the Arsenal first team as a replacement for one, if not both.  Vermaelen is rumored to be close to sealing a move to Manchester United, while Hull City have tabled a 3million pound bid for Jenko.

It’s been an exciting summer with all the goings-on at the Emirates, and with feelings amongst the Arsenal faithful that the club are just a proper holding midfielder away from being amongst the favorites to capture the league title this season, the signing of Chambers is one that will have Gooners looking towards the future as well.

From Southampton boot-boy, to England U-19 captain and now to one of the biggest clubs in the world, it’s been a meteoric rise for Calum Chambers, who, under the tutelage of Arsenal’s French headmaster, has no where to go but up.