Arsenal: Calum Chambers new deal a statement of expectation

Calum Chambers has been handed a new, four-year contract that will keep him at Arsenal until 2022. The deal is a statement of expectation for the 23-year-old.

Entering the summer, for me, the most interesting position that I wanted to see play out at Arsenal was centre-half. Per Mertesacker is retiring, Laurent Koscielny is injured until December at the earliest, Shkodran Mustafi is unconvincing, and there were three talented but flawed prospects who may or may not be ready for first-team action. And amid all this, there was the introduction of a new manager.

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Not only was Unai Emery coming to replace Arsene Wenger, but many of these players owed their careers to Wenger. Koscielny is one of the emblematic players of the latter decade of Wenger’s tenure, Mustafi has been shown greater patience by Wenger than he would have received from perhaps any other manager, and many of the young players are here precisely because of the coaching and development that Wenger provide.

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In addition to all that uncertainty, there is a strong argument to be made that centre-half was the weakest position in the squad last season. While there were shortcomings in midfield, between the sticks and out wide, many fans would suggest that it was centre-back that was the real vulnerability of this team, particularly as Koscielny’s form and availability deteriorated as the season progressed.

That is the situation that Emery inherited at the position. And I, like many others, was fascinated to see how he would lay out his plans. How would he solve what has been a problem position for many years? Who, of the young trio of prospects, would he see as a potential, future starter? What would his opinion of Mustafi, an oft-criticised but notably gifted defender, be?

These are all questions that remain unanswered. At this early stage, they were never going to be answered in full. But we have gotten hints at what Emery might think. Sokratis Papastathopoulos was one of his first targets, a 30-year-old hard-nosed defender from Borussia Dortmund. A high-pressing system that suits more athletic defenders will be implemented. A 26-year-old goalkeeper and 22-year-old central midfielder mean that he is wanting to replenish the spine of the team with players that provide longevity.

And now we have been given our biggest hint yet: A new, four-year contract for Calum Chambers that will keep him at the club until 2022, seeing his wages rise to £70,000-a-week. That tips Emery’s hand considerably.

This does not confirm Chambers as the starter. Nor does it necessarily undermine the signing of Sokratis, dismiss the chances of Rob Holding or Konstantinos Mavropanos, or even prove the murmurs that this new Arsenal are not all that convinced by Mustafi. It simply raises the expectation for Chambers himself. Chambers is now no longer just the talented youth prospect. He is expected to challenge for a fully-fledged starting role.

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Whether he will be successful or not remains to be seen, but anything less than a starting role for Chambers next season will have meant a disappointing summer for the 23-year-old.