|
Defender
Calum Chambers |
| Position |
Defender |
| P.O.B. |
Petersfield,
England |
| D.O.B |
20:01:95
|
| Height |
6' 00 |
| Current Club |
Arsenal |
| His Wiki page |
Calum Chambers has joined Fulham on a season-long loan from Arsenal.
The Gunners will receive a £1million loan fee for Chambers, who will wear the No.5 shirt at Fulham.
The 23-year-old, a natural centre-back who can also be deployed on the right flank, had signed a new contract at Arsenal earlier this summer but Unai Emery could not guarantee him the first-team that he is likely to get at Craven Cottage under Slavisa Jokanovic.
“I watched a lot of Fulham last season, I really like the way they play football, there’s a good manager, it’s a great club, so I’m really excited for the season ahead.
“Everyone can see that Fulham’s a club that likes to play football, play football from the back, through the lines. That’s the style of football I like as well, so I think it fits me and suits the way I play.”
Fulham were struggling for numbers in defence ahead of their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Saturday after a raft of loanees returned to their parent clubs,
Ryan Fredericks left on a free transfer and Denis Odoi was suspended following his red card in the playoff final.
Chambers departure is expected to lead to Arsenal pursuing another centre-back in the final hours of the transfer window, which closes on Thursday.
Croatia international Domagoj Vida is their first choice, though they will be required to bring in more money to meet his £18m price tag.
The Cottagers are expected to make further moves as well and have seen a £9m bid for Dedryck Boyata rejected by Celtic.
Jokanovic told Standard Sport on Saturday that he could require at least four new signings, including further reinforcements in defence, midfield and a striker to cover for Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Fulham FC statement
The Club is delighted to announce the arrival of centre-back Calum Chambers from Arsenal on a season-long loan deal.
The versatile 23-year-old can be also be deployed at right-back, while he has been known to operate as a defensive midfielder on occasion, too.
Born in Petersfield in Hampshire, Chambers came through the impressive Southampton academy, making his first team debut as a 17-year-old in 2012 in a 4-1 win over Stevenage in the League Cup.
His league debut came almost a year later when he played right-back in a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.
The 2013/14 season saw Chambers make a total of 24 appearances for the club – 22 of which were in the Premier League – which earned him a summer move to the Emirates.
Chambers joined Arsenal in July 2014 and made an instant impact, winning the FA Community Shield 3-0 against Manchester City, playing the full 90 minutes at centre-back.
The following weekend Chambers made his first appearance for the Gunners in the Premier League, playing the entirety of a 2-1 home win over Crystal Palace, again being deployed at the heart of the defence.
He was nominated for the 2014 Golden Boy award alongside Luke Shaw, John Stones and eventual winner Raheem Sterling. The accolade is given by sports journalists to a young footballer playing in Europe who has been the most impressive during a calendar year.
The defender scored his first senior goal in November 2014 in a 3-0 win over Burnley, and Chambers also registered an assist in that game as his cross was turned in by Alexis Sanchez.
Despite not being part of the matchday squad, he was also an FA Cup winner with Arsenal in 2015 having played in four of the previous rounds.
As well as winning the Community Shield, the FA Cup, making his Champions League debut and helping Arsenal reach third in the league, Chambers also won his first England cap that season
He made his Three Lions debut in September 2014, coming on as a replacement for John Stones at right-back in England’s 1-0 win over Norway in an international friendly played at Wembley, and to date he has played three times for his country.
Chambers scored for Arsenal against Liverpool at the start of the 2016/17 season before being loaned to Middlesbrough for the remainder of the season, making 26 appearances and scoring once, in an impressive 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
He returned to Arsenal for the 2017/18 season and signed a new long-term contract with the Gunners this summer, having made a total of 83 appearances for the North London side.
In addition to senior international recognition, Chambers also won numerous caps for the youth teams up to Under-21 level, where he formed a strong central defensive partnership with Alfie Mawson at the 2017 European Championship where England reached the Semi-Finals.
After joining the Whites, Chambers said: “I’m really excited. I watched a lot of Fulham last season, I really like the way they play football, there’s a good manager, it’s a great club, so I’m really excited for the season ahead.
“Everyone can see that Fulham’s a club that likes to play football, play football from the back, through the lines. That’s the style of football I like as well, so I think it fits me and suits the way I play.”
Tony Khan added: “I’m very pleased to announce that Calum Chambers has joined Fulham Football Club on loan.
“Calum is a versatile defender with Premier League experience, and the combination of his strong data profile and the positive reports from our scouting department confirm that he’s a tremendous talent.
“We fully expect Calum to contribute and are very happy to welcome him to our squad. Come on Fulham!”