Aston Villa confirm surprise signing of defender Calum Chambers from Arsenal

Aston Villa have completed the permanent signing of Calum Chambers from Arsenal, announcing the defender has joined on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

The 27-year-old has been a bit-part player under Mikel Arteta at the Emirates, making just two appearances in the Premier League this season and a further three in cup competitions.

Chambers did feature regularly toward the end of 2020/21 after recovering from a cruciate ligament injury, but the arrivals of Benjamin White and Takehiro Tomiyasu this past summer left him further down the order of preference this term.

He joined Arsenal in 2014 from Southampton and won three caps for England that year, but despite making 23 league appearances that first season with the Gunners, he was unable to establish himself as a regular for his parent club after that campaign.

Loan spells followed at Middlesbrough in 16/17 and Fulham in 18/19 and he now becomes Villa’s fourth addition of the January window under Steven Gerrard, following the transfer of Lucas Digne and the loan arrivals of Philippe Coutinho and Robin Olsen.

Chambers’ debut could come against Leeds United on 9 February at Villa Park, while his new club also face his old side in mid-March.