Arsenal
4 goals and 6 assists – Unai Emery will regret letting this Arsene Wenger signing leave Arsenal
Why Arsenal will regret losing Joel Campbell this season
Joel Campbell has finally put an end to his seven-year-long Arsenal career. According to Sky Sports, the 26-year-old Costa Rica international has joined Serie A side Frosinone on a permanent deal which will keep him at the club till 2021.
Campbell joined Arsenal from Deportivo Saprissa way back in 2011 but it was not until 2013 that he received a work permit in England.
Arsene Wenger experimented with his team dynamics and included Campbell in his plans but the Costa Rican failed to make a significant impact and couldn’t cement a place in the starting line-up.
Mostly treated as a fringe player, Campbell spent six loan spells away from the Emirates at Lorient, Villarreal, Sporting Lisbon, Olympiacos and Real Betis, where he had a couple of stints.
Despite being away on loan for most of his time in England, Campbell failed to replicate his international form at the club level. Over the course of six seasons, Campbell has managed only 4 goals and 6 assists in the limited opportunities he received.
Joel Campbell
While the move to Frosinone presents a positive situation for the 26-year-old, Arsenal, on the other hand, should have made more efforts to tie him to the Emirates.
To be fair, Arsenal have been guilty of somewhat underusing the player and Campbell hasn’t been able to live up to his potential in England due to a significant lack of game time. Sporadic loan spells at different clubs across Europe prevented him from settling down in his career.
Playing under different managers in different formations and different tactics did not allow the Costa Rican to flourish. Frosinone may not be the biggest club in the Serie A but Campbell is expected to receive adequate first-team minutes, which could possibly help him ply his trade at a single club.
With regular first-team action and a sense of stability in his career, things may just start to get back on track for the 26-year-old.
However, Campbell’s exit would not present a win-win situation for Arsenal as the player could have flourished under Unai Emery‘s style of play. Whether he would have done well or not is a different issue but he deserved a chance to prove his worth.
Joel Campbell
Campbell, who can play down either flank and has the pace and the dribbling ability to trouble the opposition, could have been an asset to Emery’s philosophy. He not only has the vision to find the target man from the wings but also can play as a forward himself.
Coming off the bench, he could have acted as a potential game changer with his electrifying pace and ability to add that extra edge to the attacking third.
With Theo Walcott now plying his trade for Everton, Arsenal do not have a plethora of talented wingers and Emery could miss Campbell’s presence on the bench. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is definitely a class apart and Henrikh Mkhitaryan is capable of playing down the sides but Arsenal do not have too many alternatives.
Read More: Tips for Unai Emery: Three things Arsenal must do to work wonders this season
Ainsley Maitland-Niles seems is a star for the future but the full-back/winger is only 20 and has a long way to go in terms of development.
As challenging and lengthy as the Premier League is, the cup competitions are not going to make life any easier for the teams. If Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan go down with injuries as the season wears on, Arsenal might just look back and regret the decision to let Joel Campbell leave.
Arsenal captain Leah Williamson has been announced as a National Year of Reading ambassador following the official launch of the 2026 campaign at Emirates Stadium.
The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson unveiled the Go All In initiative on January 13, positioning reading as a gateway to enhancing passions across all walks of life.
Williamson joined a stellar lineup of ambassadors including author Julia Donaldson, illustrator Axel Scheffler, poet Jackie Kay, and several other prominent figures from literature and public life. The event marked a significant moment for literacy promotion in the country, with the campaign centred on the message that reading can deepen enjoyment of whatever people already love.
A Message From the Pitch
Speaking at the launch, Williamson drew parallels between football and reading. She said the National Year of Reading represents a chance to fully commit to personal passions through literature in all its forms. The Arsenal skipper encouraged people to seize the opportunity by picking up books, listening to audiobooks, or diving into articles related to their interests. Her involvement underscores how sports figures can champion reading beyond their professional domains.
Resetting Reading Culture
Joanna Prior, chief executive of Pan Macmillan and chair of The National Literacy Trust, described the launch as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how Britain views books.
The ambition extends beyond traditional reading spaces, aiming to make literature accessible in communities, schools, and even on football pitches. Prior emphasized stripping away pressure and stigma around reading, making it relevant and enjoyable rather than obligatory.
The campaign represents a coordinated national effort to boost literacy rates and foster a genuine love of reading across all demographics and age groups throughout 2026.
Also read: Jodie Taylor Appointed Arsenal Women’s First Ever Technical Director
Arsenal Women host Manchester United on Saturday in a crucial six pointer for Champions League qualification. The Gunners sit just one point above United in the WSL table and victory at Emirates Stadium would give them a strong buffer, while defeat leaves them playing catch up in the race for Europe.
The match marks Arsenal’s return from the winter break following a busy week that saw Renee Slegers sign a new contract and Jodie Taylor promoted to Technical Director. However, the immediate focus is on securing three points against Marc Skinner’s side in what promises to be a tense encounter.
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT, Saturday, January 11, 2026
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
TV: Sky Sports (UK)
Cooney Cross Absent For Personal Reasons
Arsenal will be without Kyra Cooney Cross who has returned to Australia for personal reasons. Daphne van Domselaar is not quite ready to return from a quad injury while Chloe Kelly remains out with a knee problem. Jenna Nighswonger will not be in the matchday squad as she negotiates a loan move.
New signing Smilla Holmberg from Hammarby will be in the squad alongside recalled goalkeeper Naomi Williams. Manu Zinsberger and Katie Reid are out with ACL injuries. The absence of Cooney Cross means Mariona will likely drop into the deeper midfield role she has occupied for much of the last year.
United Strengthened in January
Manchester United have been busy in the transfer window, adding full back Hanna Lundkvist from San Diego Wave and centre forward Lea Schuller from Bayern Munich. Skinner was dealt a poor hand over the summer with a very small squad handling Champions League qualifiers and the group phase.
Predicted Lineup:
Arsenal (4-3-3): Borbe; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona, Maanum; Mead, Russo, Smith
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Tullis Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti; Park, Malard, Awujo; Schuller
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
Arsenal confirmed on January 9, 2026 that Jodie Taylor has been appointed as the club’s first ever Technical Director.
The 39-year-old former England striker moves up from her existing role as Technical Services Manager, a position she has held since September 2023 following her retirement from professional football.
Taylor’s promotion comes on the same day Arsenal announced Renee Slegers’ new contract extension through 2029, creating a strategic restructuring of the women’s football department.
A Decade Long Arsenal Connection
Taylor’s relationship with Arsenal spans ten years since first joining as a player in 2016. She scored 10 goals in 17 appearances during her initial spell before returning on a short-term deal in March 2023. Taylor earned 50 plus England caps during her international career and won the Golden Boot at Euro 2017.
She represented her country at the 2015 Women’s World Cup finishing third and played for multiple elite clubs including Lyon, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave throughout her career.
Strategic Structural Development
Taylor’s new role bridges critical areas of football operations including recruitment, analysis, coaching and performance support. She will work closely with Renee Slegers on a daily basis as the Technical Director, providing structural support for coaching decisions and squad development.
Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley praised Taylor’s appointment as integral to continued development of the program as Arsenal challenges for major trophies consistently. Wheatley will now focus on upward management across UEFA, FIFA and domestic boards while Taylor handles day to day operations.
Building a High Performance Environment
Taylor expressed immense pride stepping into her new position, emphasizing Arsenal’s remarkable growth over the past decade. She committed to nurturing a high-performance environment where players, coaching staff and support teams have the right tools to deliver at the highest level.
Her appointment represents investment in female leadership within Arsenal’s technical infrastructure, aligning with the club’s commitment to developing their women’s program systematically and strategically moving forward into their next phase.
Also read: Arsenal Women disable social media comments after sexist backlash to new signing
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