Joel Campbell appears to have been given the number 35 for the new season, assuming he doesn’t end up leaving Arsenal this summer, after pictures emerged of the forward in training.
Campbell returned to training on Monday, after an extended holiday due to his World Cup participation. Unlike other players who exited the competition in the group stage like Elneny, Özil and Iwobi, Campbell didn’t travel on tour to Singapore, with rumours that he could be trying to seal a move elsewhere.
For now, though, he’s back with the first-team squad. Pictures posted on the official club website show he’s wearing the number 35, as you can see below (you may have to squint and turn your brightness up).
The new number is the result of a domino effect, after Alexandre Lacazette took number nine last summer. That forced Lucas Perez to switch to Campbell’s number, 28. Campbell wasn’t assigned a new number at the time, as he was going on loan to Real Betis, but now he’s back and wearing 35.
Realistically, this doesn’t actually mean much. Campbell had to wear something in training, and being given a new number doesn’t stop him leaving. He still has one more month to find a new club, and that’s seemingly the most likely scenario.