Wrexham immediately ‘target’ ex-Arsenal star loved by Steven Gerrard after £10m transfer

Wrexham are said to be considering a move for former Arsenal defender Calum Chambers, who was highly praised during his time at Aston Villa by then-manager Steven Gerrard

Wrexham have turned their attentions to making a swoop for a former Arsenal star who’s loved by Steven Gerrard after completing a £10million move for Nathan Broadhead. The Hollywood-backed club broke their transfer record for the third time this summer after signing the Ipswich Town forward on Thursday.

No sooner had the ink dried on that deal than reports emerged that Wrexham are now eyeing former Gunners centre-back Calum Chambers as their next recruit. Despite already bringing in nine new faces, manager Phil Parkinson is understood to be eager to land at least one additional defender before the transfer window shuts.

Chambers started his career at Southampton as a youngster before moving to Arsenal in the summer of 2014. The 30-year-old made 122 appearances for the Premier League side, then left to sign for Aston Villa in January 2022.

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He currently plays for Cardiff City in League One and, according to talkSPORT, has attracted the attention of Championship new boys Wrexham. Chambers only signed for the Bluebirds last year but suffered relegation during his first campaign.

Despite having two years left on his contract and starting Cardiff’s first two games of the season, he is also understood to be of interest to Wrexham’s second-tier rivals, Sheffield United. Chambers’ adaptability is said to make him an attractive prospect to Parkinson, with the seasoned defender able to slot into various roles, including in a three-man backline.

During his time at Villa Park, he earned praise from the club’s then-manager Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool legend hailed Chambers’ qualities after he rounded off a 3-0 league win against Leeds United in March 2022 with a stunning goal.

“He’s been class, on and off the pitch,” Gerrard said. “He’s been a real pleasure to work with. I thought that was the knockout blow tonight, to get the third goal in the way that we did it.

“That was the knockout blow and from that moment it was about keeping a clean sheet and everyone defensively getting their buzz out of it as well because everyone’s responsible for scoring goals and everyone’s got to be responsible for keeping the ball out as well.”

Chambers, who was recently handed the captain’s armband at Cardiff, was quizzed last week about the setback of dropping down a division in his debut season. While news of Wrexham’s interest had yet to emerge, he maintained his commitment to his current club at the time.

“I’m happy to be here,” he said. “You can’t predict what’s gonna happen in football. You’ve just got to enjoy the journey and that’s what I’m doing. The manager’s been amazing since he’s come in.

“Pre-season has gone really well. Everyone is buzzing, the boys are really excited, with the style and the identity we have now, I think it works amazingly with the group and the players that we have.

“I feel there’s a real identity about us and and a path going forward in the way we want to play. The vibe around the place is really good.”

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