Cardiff close to signing Aston Villa's Chambers

Calum Chambers has made 243 appearances during his senior career, scoring nine goals

Cardiff City are closing in on the signing of Aston Villa defender Calum Chambers.

England international Chambers has a year to run on his Villa contract but will be allowed to leave the Premier League club.

The 29-year-old former Arsenal player is expected to sign a permanent deal with Championship Cardiff.

He made only five top-flight appearances last season, also featuring three times in the Europa Conference League.

Chambers, who can play in central defence or at right-back, has made 36 appearances in total since joining Villa in January 2022, a move which ended an eight-year association with Arsenal.

He joined the Gunners from Southampton for £16m in 2014, having played 25 times for Saints after coming through their academy.

He played 122 games for Arsenal, scoring five goals, while he also had loan spells in the Premier League with Middlesbrough and Fulham.

Chambers' three England caps came in 2014.

He is poised to become one of Cardiff’s first signings this summer, with the Welsh club also poised to sign former Queens Park Rangers winger Chris Willock.

Boss Erol Bulut said earlier this week that Cardiff were close to bringing in some new faces.