Joel Campbell has returned to Arsenal and has made clear his reluctance to go out on loan for a sixth time. The 25-year-old Costa Rica striker is under contract until 2019, but his situation is complicated by a knee injury sustained in a Gold Cup tie against Canada on 12 July. He is working to rebuild his fitness at the club's London Colney training base.
Campbell joined Arsenal as a 19-year-old from Deportivo Saprissa in 2011, though he did not make his debut until August 2014, after starring for Costa Rica at the Brazil World Cup. He had spent season-long loans at Lorient, Real Betis and Olympiakos. He featured in 10 games for Arsenal in the first half of the 2014-15 season before joining Villarreal on loan for the remainder of that campaign. He enjoyed a full season with Arsenal in 2015-16, scoring four goals in 30 appearances, but spent last season on loan at Sporting Lisbon.
Campbell is one of 28 senior players in Arsène Wenger's squad, three more than the Premier League limit, and one of 17 non-homegrown players, which is at the limit. Wenger is working to trim the squad and is in talks with Galatasaray over left-back Kieran Gibbs. He is open to offers for Mathieu Debuchy and Lucas Pérez, while under-21 players Krystian Bielik and Jeff Reine-Adelaide are expected to be loaned out. Deportivo La Coruña want Pérez but have so far been unable to agree a fee.
Defender Calum Chambers, who spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough, had been close to a permanent move to Crystal Palace, but Wenger could now keep him after selling Gabriel Paulista to Valencia. If Gibbs and Debuchy move on, Wenger would have eight specialist senior defenders, including Chambers. Per Mertesacker is set to retire at the end of the season. Chambers is currently struggling with a groin injury but is expected to be fit after the international break.
For Campbell, the immediate priority is regaining full fitness. It remains unclear how far he is from the required level, but he is back at London Colney and determined to make an impression rather than leave on another temporary basis.
