West Ham Chairman, David Gold, appears to have confirmed that Arsenal right-back, Carl Jenkinson, will make his loan move to the Hammers a permanent one this summer.
When asked on twitter whether or not Jenkinson would be able to play against Arsenal this season, due to his loan status, Gold replied:
“He will not play against Arsenal. This year.”
This suggests that even though Arsenal’s current loan agreement prohibits the 23-year-old from playing against them, the West Ham Chairman is confident that the defender will be able to play against The Gunners in 2016, and a permanent deal is the only thing that would make that possible.
Despite winning the hearts of the Arsenal faithful after he signed from Charlton Athletic in 2011, Jenkinson has failed to hold down a first team spot Wenger’s eleven, and with the emergence of Hector Bellerin, it looks like the Englishman’s game time would be even more limited if he was to return next season.
Although it would be a shame to see a genuine Arsenal fan leave the team, it would be hard to deny Carl the chance to play week in, week out at another club. Not only that, but I think that most fans will agree that Bellerin looks like a much brighter prospect, and it would be foolish to limit his game time as we try to balance the two young defenders in our squad.
If David Gold is right, and Carl Jenkinson has played his final game for Arsenal, then I wish him all the best. If not, then I’d still welcome him back at the club next season. He’s been an intriguing servant to the club, and I’m sure every fan will hold him in high regards no matter where his future lies.