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In one of the most unexpected deals of the 2022 January transfer window, Aston Villa announced the signing of Arsenal defender, Callum Chambers for an undisclosed fee, on the 28th of January 2022, making him the fifth signing secured by manager Steven Gerrard this window.
The 27-year-old could play as both a Right Back and a Center Back, bolstering Stevie G's depth in his backline with the signing of Lucas Digne announced earlier in the window.
What surprised most people is the speed and the secrecy with which Villa have managed to pull the deal from a very well sourced club like Arsenal, which is one of the reasons why it shocked so many people.
It is not the first time in recent windows have Villa announced signings out of nowhere. Signings like Ross Barkley, on loan from Chelsea and Danny Ings on a permanent transfer from Southampton have been deals not many saw coming.
In a recent interview, Ings revealed the secret sauce behind Villa's secret deal operations. He said that it was only him and his agent who had the knowledge about the deal with Villa, after discussions with Southampton and no one, including Ings' family had even got a hint of the Striker's move to the Midlands.
Such approach makes sense is to how and why some of Villa's signings especially in the last 3-4 windows have come as such surprise to many, given negotations and dealings often get leaked or informed through agents and other parties involved in and around the club during the process.
It would be interesting to see how the signing pans out along with the big names that Steven Gerrard has added to his disposal in order to elevate their project by mounting a serious challenge for European football during his tenure.