NEWLY-PROMOTED PREMIER LEAGUE side Fulham have signed Arsenal defender Calum Chambers on a season-long loan, the West London club have announced.
The 23-year-old, who signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal last month, joins Fulham ahead of their Premier League season-opener against Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage.
“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,” said Chambers.
Slavisa Jokanovic’s men were promoted with a 1-0 play-off victory over Aston Villa in May, after a late-season charge just failed to secure a top-two finish in the Championship.
Chambers, who has won three caps for England and can play either at right-back, centre-back or in midfield, previously spent a spell on loan with Middlesbrough during the 2016-17 season.
“Everyone can see that Fulham’s a club that likes to play football, play football from the back, through the lines,” he added. “That’s the style of football I like as well, so I think it fits me and suits the way I play.”
Chambers had stated his ambition to fight for a first-team place at the Emirates Stadium under new Arsenal coach Unai Emery.
But with Laurent Koscielny, new signing Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Shkodran Mustafi and youngster Dinos Mavropanos all providing healthy competition, the former Southampton player has had to make the short trip to Fulham in search of regular playing time.
He is likely to resume his former England U21 partnership with Alfie Mawson in the heart of defence, after the 24-year-old signed from Swansea City last week.
Serbia striker Aleksdandr Mitrovic, goalkeeper Fabri, German World Cup-winner Andre Schurrle and former Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri have all also joined Fulham in the close season.
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