Carl Jenkinson is set to leave the club on loan for the 2015-16 season, according to reports in the Metro. The 23-year old right-back spent the entire 2014-15 season on loan at West Ham and made 36 appearances in all competitions during that period.
The Englishman was successful during the first half of last season however his form dipped like the rest of the West Ham side during the second half of the season. But his loan spell at West Ham United should be considered a success. Until last week it was Sunderland who were thought to be be close to sign him after they reportedly offered a loan fee of 1.5 million pounds to acquire his service.
However this week it is being reported that Southampton and West Ham United have also enquired about the full-back. But Southampton completed the signing of 23-year old Portuguese right-back Cedric Soares from Sporting Lisbon yesterday which means they are out of the race for Jenkinson.
West Ham meanwhile confirmed yesterday that they were all in for the signature of Jenkinson with new manager Slaven Bilic keen to bring back the talented defender to The Boleyn Ground. But it would all depend on the loan fee West Ham are ready to offer to the Gunners. If West Ham are ready to match Sunderland’s offer then the decision would lie in the defenders hand. The team with better ambitions would get him.
Sunderland are in desperate need for full-backs, having released veteran Frenchman Anthony Reveillere at the end of last season which leaves them with Billy Jones and Patrick van Aanholt as their only specialists in that department. However in case of West Ham, with Guy Demel being injured and out for a long time and Joey O’ Brien being only a liability, Bilic would believe that Jenkinson would be the right person to partner Cresswell as their full-back.
The England defender would prefer a move to West Ham as he had spent last season there but if Dick Advocaat tries hard he could take Jenkinson to the Stadium of light. With Debuchy and Bellerin already fighting for the right-back position at Arsenal it would be impossible for Jenkinson to make the first team. However with the defender set to spend his second consecutive season elsewhere on loan Wenger would hope that he comes back as a better defender on the basis of both physical and mental strength.
Wenger is also looking set to extend the youngsters contract before he leaves the club on loan. His current contract runs till 2018 but Wenger wants Jenkinson to commit his long-term future to the club and extend his contract for three more years until 2021. Wenger remains confident that Jenkinson will do so.
Will a second consecutive loan spell away from Emirates be useful for Jenkinson? Only time will tell.
