It is not likely to get any easier for the Costa Rica international star Joel Campbell to force his way into the Arsenal first team, with our flying England forward Theo Walcott getting closer to full match fitness and his two international team mates Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain giving Arsene Wenger better striking options than we have had for many a year.
Walcott actually suggested the other day that this could be the strongest Arsenal attacking line-up ever, so young Campbell must realise that it will not be a simple matter to displace one of the incumbent players. He even said as much in the summer when his future was unsure and there was the possibility of him leaving the Gunners, either on loan or permanently.
But his agent was not too happy back then and he is at it again, as an ESPN report reveals. In fact the report claims that Joaquim Batica has flown to England and turned up at Arsenal’s training base at London Colney to try to sort out a move for his client this month.
There are apparently Premier League and La Liga clubs keen on taking Campbell, but if he has any ambitions of making it at Arsenal then he will never have a better chance than now, because with Lukas Podolski and Yaya Sanogo having already left on their own loan deals, he will surely be one of the first Wenger turns to as a sub or cover for the front line strikers.
And that is the same reason Arsenal must not let Campbell leave and why I think the boss has kept him. He may have started just three games this season but the young striker has made seven sub appearances, showing some promise, and he is likely to feature more from now on. Why would he leave now? And why would we let him go?