Joel Campbell joins Sporting Lisbon on season-long loan

Joel Campbell's next loan spell is taking him to Portugal.

On Sunday, Arsenal announced that Campbell joined Sporting Clube de Portugal on a season-long loan, marking his fifth loan spell since he arrived at the Emirates Stadium.

After temporary spells with Lorient, Real Betis, Olympiacos, and Villarreal, Campbell was finally given a sustained opportunity in first-team affairs in north London last term. He made 19 appearances in the Premier League, scoring three and assisting two.

But the returns to fitness of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had shunted Campbell back down the pecking order this summer, so the Gunners have allowed him to move on loan to the Portuguese capital.

Sporting Lisbon will be able to offer the 24-year-old further Champions League experience, and is looking to better its finish of second in the Primeira Liga in 2015-16.