'I had to make Arsenal transfer decision – it was a no-brainer to leave'

'I had to make Arsenal transfer decision – it was a no-brainer to leave'Leaving Arsenal to make a step down was seen as a necessary move to reignite his careerCommentsSportAbbie Meehan Senior Sports Writer09:30, 04 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesCalum Chambers said it was a 'no-brainer' to leave Arsenal(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Calum Chambers was over the moon to join Arsenal - but his move to Aston Villa in 2022 was a "no-brainer." The defender started his career at Southampton before spending almost a decade in north London - with the two clubs meeting on Saturday night in the FA Cup quarter-finals.‌Chambers made the move to Villa in January 2022 after realising his time at Arsenal had come to an end. He had spent eight years in north London, which included loans to Middlesbrough and Fulham, and largely failed to live up to the potential that saw a fee of up to £16m paid for him as a 19-year-old.‌Overall, Chambers made 122 appearances across five seasons for the Gunners, scoring five goals and assisting nine times from defence. By the time he arrived on a free transfer in Birmingham, he'd accepted it wasn't going to work for him in north London anymore.‌Speaking to Sky Sports at the time, the defender revealed just how important this deal was to his career. Chambers said: "It moved pretty quickly. I was at that point in my career where I wasn't getting a chance at Arsenal.FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook pageREAD MORE: Arsenal have already sealed one summer transfer with £45million man also set to joinREAD MORE: Thomas Tuchel admits mass international withdrawal of Arsenal stars looks 'suspicious'"It felt like I needed to move on and have a have a fresh start. Then in January the opportunity came up to come to Villa and as soon as I heard that I remember thinking, 'Wow, what an opportunity to come to a club like this.'‌&quo...