The lifelong Arsenal fan Carl Jenkinson wants to do nothing more than play for the Gunners, but the problem is that Arsene Wenger doesn’t quite trust him enough for the 23 year-old to have a regular starting spot in the team yet.
After Bacary Sagna left for Manchester City last summer, Jenkinson was hopeful of being an automatic starter in the team, but he realised when Wenger bought Debuchy that he would be spending most of his time on the bench again. That was when he decided that he would have to look elsewhere….
“It was a big decision,” Jenkinson said. “But Debuchy came through the door for £12m, and I kind of knew a club doesn’t pay that money for a player and not play him.
“I didn’t want another season of just sitting on the bench, so I spoke to the boss and he agreed it would be a good idea for me to get a season of experience under my belt in the Premier League.
“It’s definitely been the right decision for me. It’s been the first time I’ve played regular football week in, week out, and that’s all a footballer really wants to do.”
Jenks has impressed over at West Ham, but his absence has probably made it even harder for him to win his place back at Arsenal. Wenger also bought the young Calum Chambers in the summer, and Hector Bellerin has been even more impressive in his position while Debuchy has spent long periods on the treatment table. If he still wants to play regularly next season, he will probably have to look elsewhere again…