Joel Campbell has claimed that Arsene Wenger did not use him enough last season, despite impressing for Arsenal.
The Costa Rican forward has spent a number of seasons out on loan from the club, but following an eye-catching loan deal with Olympiacos, followed by an equally impressive World Cup campaign in 2014, many believed he deserved his shot within our first-team.
He stayed with Arsenal for the following season, but after only 37 minutes of league football in the first half of the campaign, opted to leave on another loan to join Villareal until the end of the term.
Last season he stayed with the Gunners first-team, and was finally given a run of fixtures worth talking about, and he was receiving praise for impressing on a number of occasions, and seemed comfortable within our team.
Despite his performances, from March 2 he was only given less than 20 match minutes split over four substitute appearances in the league, while Alex Iwobi was fast-tracked into the starting XI.
The 24 year-old is now said to have made his own decision to leave on loan, and is happy to have joined Sporting this summer.
He said: ‘I feel good, I’m happy, it’s a new experience.
‘I think I deserved to play more after what I did last year, but now I have a new stage in my career.’
Campbell was one of our better performers last season, and although I’m extremely happy with Iwobi’s progression, the Costa Rican is right in his assessment that he deserved more.
Walcott was chosen ahead of him for game time while Joel sat on the bench, and the England international was in woeful form at the time.
Should we have convinced Campbell to stay this year? Is his Arsenal career now over?