Aston Villa are no strangers to a surprise signing – and this is particularly true again after signing Calum Chambers from Arsenal on Thursday.
Steven Gerrard succeeded in bringing Philippe Coutinho to Aston Villa on a half-season loan from Barcelona earlier this month.
And if you’d told some Villans during Dean Smith’s reign earlier in the campaign that they’d have a Brazilian superstar in the ranks by winter, they would’ve asked to smell your drink.
However, the Midlands outfit have just pulled off another surprise addition by signing the former Arsenal defender.
Getting Coutinho was a shock, but one that’d been simmering for a couple of weeks.
On Thursday, though, the Premier League side announced a three-and-a-half year deal for Chambers upon terminating his Gunners contract – and this one came from absolutely nowhere.
There was virtually no speculation about the 27-year-old moving to Villa Park at the time of the club’s sudden announcement yesterday evening.
Chambers’s contract was expiring in North London this summer anyway and having barely played this season, it was assumed that he’d leave in June on a Bosman.
However, it would appear as if Arsenal terminated the contract to allow Chambers leave for Aston Villa this month instead.
On Instagram, the Southampton academy graduate revealed that it was an ‘honour’ to join Gerrard’s side and among the well-wishers was Emiliano Martinez, with a reunion set to take place.
Martinez played alongside Chambers at the Emirates Stadium until his £20 million move to Villa during the summer of 2020.
And here’s how the Argentine goalkeeper reacted to Thursday’s move, writing: “Welcome to villa bro” accompanied by flame emojis.
