Arsenal: 5 Ainsley Maitland-Niles midfield replacements

3. Calum Chambers

This is one that gets mentioned every time Arsenal are looking a little thin in central midfield. Calum Chambers, who can’t get a game for the team in his favoured right-back or centre-back position, continues to be touted as an option in the middle of the pitch.

It all stems from one season in west London. Scooping Fulham’s Player of the Year award in 2018/19 during a loan spell there from Arsenal, this accolade gets fired off regularly as a solution.

The Cottagers conceded 81 goals that season and finished 19th in the table, so selecting a POTY is always going to be slim pickings. Chambers did do well enough in an awful team, he’s just not going to be anything close to reliable for Arteta when he’s barely serviceable as a defender.

Part of you wants to see it, though.

Chambers did hit some solid form last season playing at right-back, including during the period where Arsenal had Xhaka at left centre-back and the 26-year-old regularly found himself dancing into midfield positions. He wasn’t all that bad.

Looking at the fixture list and seeing the level of opposition for Arsenal to face somewhat quells that morbid curiosity, however.

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