Arsenal defender Calum Chambers completes season-long loan move to Middlesbrough

Arsenal have sent Calum Chambers on a season-long loan to Middlesbrough in a bid to provide him with more game time. The former Southampton defender joined the Gunners in 2014 and has made 59 appearances for the north London club in all competitions in the centre of defence and at right-back.

Arsene Wenger believes the 21-year-old has to play in order to establish himself in the Arsenal backline, which would not be possible this season following the transfer of Shkodran Mustafi to the north London club. Chambers has made one start this season on the opening day in a 4-3 loss to Liverpool alongside new signing Rob Holding, who was chosen to partner Laurent Koscielny in their next two games against Leicester City and Watford.

Chambers has three England caps under his belt and will be hoping that continued exposure to first team football will make way for more in the future. Boro head coach Aitor Karanka believes Chambers is a brilliant addition to the squad and will help them to progress in the league.

"I'm really pleased," Karanka told Bournemouth's official website. "It's a position where we've been working towards bringing the right player in. We haven't been in a hurry because Calum was the player we were waiting for, and he's going to help us a lot. I'd like to say thank you to him because we know he had another offer, but he wanted to come here. That's important and we're looking forward to working with him."

The Gunners are also considering a loan deal for Jack Wilshere with the England international needing game time to get back into the England squad, as professed by new manager Sam Allardyce. Wilshere spent the better part of last season on the sidelines with a broken foot and will be desperate to get his season back on track with concerted time on the pitch, something which will not be guaranteed at Arsenal.