By Gareth James

Cardiff City have announced their second signing of the summer – Calum Chambers.

The 29-year-old defender parted ways with Aston Villa by mutual consent after two years and joins Cardiff as a free transfer, bringing with him a wealth of experience as an England international.

We are delighted to welcome Calum Chambers to the Welsh capital! 💙

The defender has put pen to paper on a three-year contract at CCS. 🤝#CityAsOne | @CalumChambers95

— Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) July 14, 2024

Chambers, a versatile player capable of operating as a centre-back, right-back, or holding midfielder, began his career at Southampton before moving to Arsenal in 2014, where he played alongside Aaron Ramsey. That same year, he earned all three of his England caps.

Having signed a three-year deal with the Bluebirds, Chambers has nearly 200 appearances in English football’s top flight, adding depth and quality to Cardiff’s defense.

Cardiff City have signed England defender Calum Chambers from Aston Villa on a three-year deal ⚽#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/ZTblpRzCN3

— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) July 14, 2024

Last season, Chambers saw limited action under Unai Emery at Villa, making only five Premier League appearances. Feeling the need for a new challenge, he found Erol Bulut’s vision for Cardiff compelling.

“I’m absolutely delighted, and I can’t wait to get started,” Chambers said. “I think after speaking to the club, it felt like they were very ambitious in where they were heading.

“It seemed like a really good project to be a part of, and I didn’t really want to miss out. I’m at a stage in my career where I want to be ambitious and create memories for myself as well. It was a good time for us both to meet at this point.

“The stadium is quality and it’s a great club. I can’t wait to play here at the stadium for the first time. The manager was key. We had some good conversations, we’re both very ambitious and want to push this club up.

“It’s a very good squad as it is. I just want to come in as a centre-half; I like to get on the ball and play, be vocal on the pitch, so if I can do that it will bring the best out of me as well.”

New Cardiff City signing Calum Chambers says he was attracted by the club's "ambition" and "really good project" ✅#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/aGNpZf3tGU

— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) July 14, 2024

Bulut has focused on strengthening both ends of the pitch this summer. With Willock and now Chambers on board, he still seeks a midfielder and a striker.

The Bluebirds boss is satisfied with the transfer window so far, saying: “First of all, he is a great player. He spent a long time at Arsenal and played at Aston Villa, so he will add great experience in our defensive shape.

“He is also an ex-teammate of Aaron Ramsey, so they will know each other. It is a great addition for us, and I hope that in our defensive shape and our build-up he will have good qualities. He can also play two or three different positions. That is important for us.

“I think it’s a good start to the window. Last season, we saw our issues in a few positions. In the attacking part, we created chances, but we couldn’t finalise them and I hope with Chris Willock, he will have different skills to what we had last season.

“With Chambers, he will be very important to our defensive shape. In football, you have to defend and attack together, and I hope that we can do that even better than last season because our targets are different this year.”

Aaron Ramsey on Instagram story, reunited with former Arsenal team-mate Calum Chambers at Cardiff City. 💙 #afc pic.twitter.com/plMiGcYjlG

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) July 14, 2024