Can Jenkinson force an Arsenal return?

Carl Jenkinson has Arsenal running through is blood, however he may not remain on Arsene Wenger's books come next season. At the moment he is currently on loan at West Ham but due to the meteoric rise of Hector Bellerin this season he faces an uncertainty over his future at the Gunners.

The main question is whether Jenkinson can force himself back into the current Arsenal side. For a while Arsenal haven't had enough defenders and a big enough squad to wage a challenge on all fronts. However towards the end of this season they're showing signs of being able to do that come next season. A big part of title winning sides is that they have strength in numbers and with Jenkinson returning to a defence that seems to be ever improving it could be welcoming for Arsene Wenger in terms of numbers at his disposal.

Whether Carl Jenkinson wants to stay and whether or not Arsene Wenger wants him to return from West Ham is another question though.

Jenkinson's form for West Ham this season has been consistent. He hasn't been outstanding but he's showing signs of becoming a solid player. It's that consistency that could aid his battle in working his way back into the Arsenal team if he were to return next season. Bacary Sagna's exit last summer perhaps presented a chance to Jenkinson but instead he was shipped out on a much needed loan spell in order to aid his development. With regular first team football it's clearly visible that he is beginning to flourish. The full-back has already played 24 times this season for West Ham, the most amount of appearances he's played as a senior player in any season up to now.

Arsenal have a wealth of options at right-back and that will hinder Jenkinson in his bid to return to the Emirates in the summer. As things stand he would have a battle on his hands for a place with Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers and Hector Bellerin.

It's Bellerin's rise though that prompts this discussion. Not many would've predicted his rise to come so soon. It was always evident that he was going to have the quality to make it at the Gunners. After all, he's come from the Barcelona academy. However after injuries in defence this season Hector Bellerin has established himself in this Arsenal side and, at the moment, remains trusted on that right hand side. Calum Chambers' form compared to the start of the season has rather petered out but he of course can also play at centre-half, which may well open the door for Jenkinson's return. Either one of Bellerin and Chambers could well face a loan spell like Jenkinson's next season though.

It's clear to see that Hector Bellerin has more potential than Carl Jenkinson and also offers a lot more in attack. Bellerin's pace is a heavy asset to have and he is showing all the hallmarks of what a modern day full-back is. He gets forward well and on the odd occasion that he does lose the ball, he fights back to win it. His determination is major asset of his game but defensively Jenkinson is more consistent. As a result Bellerin could be sent out on loan for a period of time to work on his defensive game at another club.

Bellerin is three years younger than Jenkinson and has already established himself quicker, meaning that Jenkinson's time may well be up at Arsenal. However, Bellerin remains a slight defensive vulnerability which is similar to Chambers. It's an interesting discussion but one that will remain unclear until the summer.

An offer for Carl Jenkinson is likely to come in, probably from West Ham, but other clubs will be formulating deals and if an offer comes in for him, then Wenger is likely to accept it. That goes to say though that if Chambers was shifted into centre-back where he looks far more comfortable, then Jenkinson could well force his way back into this Arsenal team at right back, especially if Debuchy's injury problems continue next season.