Joel Campbell arrives at Arsenal - but he's unlikely to be staying long
The Costa Rica forward has linked up with his Arsenal teammates as they head to Austria for a pre-season training camp
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Joel Campbell has rejoined his Arsenal teammates for pre-season training – but the reunion is unlikely to last for long.
The Costa Rican forward has joined the Gunners’ squad for a four-day training camp in Austria that will serve as preparation for the Emirates Cup – and, more importantly, for the new Premier League season.
But Campbell’s stay of execution with the first team is likely to be a brief one, with Arsene Wenger looking to send him out on loan again – this time to a Premier League club.
West Ham, Everton, Southampton and Newcastle are all said to be interested in the 22-year-old, who impressed for Olympiakos last season in the Champions League and for Costa Rica during their surprising run to the World Cup quarter-finals in Brazil.
If shirt numbers can be interpreted as a sign of a player’s increasing importance and seniority then Campbell’s luck may be in. On Saturday he posted a Twitter picture of himself wearing Arsenal training kit emblazoned with No 28 – the shirt left behind by Kieran Gibbs who has taken Bacary Sagna’s No 3 jersey.
Campbell has been at Arsenal since 2011 but has yet to make a single competitive appearance for the North London side. He has however gained considerable international experience in spite of his tender age, having been capped 35 times by Costa Rica.
His future at the club may yet depend on the success or failure of other deals. According to reports in Italy, AC Milan are showing heavy interest in the winger, whose three-year spell on loan abroad means he is now eligible for a UK work permit.
Milan’s interest is contingent on Arsenal successfully completing a deal for the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Douglas Costa, who has refused to return to the Ukrainian club following the turmoil around the city.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments