Joel Campbell has more or less confirmed that he’ll return to Arsenal this summer after revealing there’s no option in his loan contract with Sporting Lisbon to give the Portuguese club the option to make the deal permanent.
The 24 year old is currently with his fifth loan club having joined the Gunners in 2011, and it seems even if that option were there, Sporting wouldn’t be inclined to take it up.
Campbell has had very mixed reviews since going there in August, and has just four goals from 21 appearances.
Speaking to the press in Portugal, he said, “There is no purchase option. I have to fulfill my loan to Sporting in the best way and then return to Arsenal.
I have given my best, sometimes I do not play, but football is like that. But I hope that when I return [from international duty] I can play again.”
Campbell’s workrate and effort endeared him to Arsenal fans last season, and while he did show some moments of real quality, he has never fully convinced Arsene Wenger who dispatched him to Portugal last summer.
It seems unlikely he’s got any long-term future with the club, but he still has some years left on his contract so it’s a matter of wait and see this summer.
Anyone else have that nagging feeling that another manager is gonna convert him into a Moses-esque super full-back?
Can’t say i’ve ever been the biggest fan of him but it is a shame to see a player so keen not given much of a chance at the club.
I was going to say his size would work against him…. But my GAWD he’s actually a cm taller than Moses! Definitely doesn’t lack in work rate etc… So it’s possible I guess.
I think he’s a bit one footed and lightweight, for a start. You can’t just make every hard working winger into a full back – who would be next – Welbeck? At least he fits the profile in being strong too (e.g. Valencia, Moses)
You’re probably right, just get the feeling that at some point things are gonna fall into place for him and he’s gonna find a place to excel in a team. But as others have said, it probably isn’t at Arsenal. Best is for him to find a new club and to be wished well.
Absolutely! I was going to post this comment, but then you beat me to it.
His effort has always been commendable but he’s not good enough for what we want to do at Arsenal. I’ve seen people blame Wenger for farming Joel out but these are the same people that would be slating him for playing him every week. Best thing to do is cash in on him and wish him the best for the future.
He’s a better and more productive player than Iwobi however Wenger’s played him 35 times this season
Whilst I would agree he might not be the answer to our problems on the wing, I wouldn’t say he was any worse than Iwobi/Walcott/Oxlade when he did play. You could even make a case that he was more effective than those 3, yet he never seemed to get a consistent run of games – much like Lucas Perez this season.
yet i’d take him over walcott or Iwobi
I can’t be the only one who thinks Joel is a serious asset to the team? He was so good last season
I often wonder if there is an issue with the Arsenal sales team when it comes to getting rid of good, but not Arsenal quality players. Debuchy, Campbell, Jenkinson, Bendtner back in the day all seem to stay around for another couple of seasons/go on loan even when it’s clear they’re not in the manager’s plans. We should have sold Campbell last summer when his stake was (fairly) high but now we’ve paid him a million or so in wages and we won’t get as high a price
It’s Wenger’s ill-conceived flat/socialist wage policy that over rewards poor players and under pays the good one’s that the cause of this. The results are we can’t get rid of poor players and can’t keep our good one’s all whilst having one of the highest wage bills in europe.
An even stricter wage policy made George Graham’s mediocre lower league players into close-nit and title winning squad.
Different times in terms of finance. Wenger’s reign started it’s downward trajectory the moment he started paying the likes of Denilson and Diaby comparatively similar wages as the vastly superior Fabregas as it lead to a massive waste of financial resources. He can’t help himself and still does it now, it’s an absolute false economy buying the likes of Jenkinson, Debuchy and El Neny as the moment we show interest agents ask (and get) Arsenal size wages which makes them almost impossible to move on and it ends up costing the club millions a year in wasted wages. At Arsenal’s… Read more »
Bunch of bollocks if you ask me. In all seriousness no offence to iwobi, because the guy is going to be a star. But yes alexis is fantastic at left wing, but the options that could have been available this season were podolski, joel campbell and alexis. Now its alexis and iwobi. None of the above would of left the arsenal if they had the faith of the manager and he rotated the squad. To me its just about Arsenal giving in to the power of players requests potentially spending time on the bench and fighting their way into the… Read more »
This guy is just 24. I looked at the highlights of last season and ozil and Bellerin thrived whenever Joel played. Top quality team player. He hasn’t yet mastered the art of goal scoring or providing assists, but he is always involved in plays. Every squad needs a Joel Campbell. It would be a mistake to let him go. I don’t care if we are getting Messi, we should keep this lad. He is our Douglas Costa.
Last season, he had more goals and assists per 90 than Ramsey and Walcott, all while busting his ass on defense. Would love to see him back