Carl Jenkinson to join Arsenal in £1m deal

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger kicked off his summer spending yesterday with the £1 million capture of promising defender Carl Jenkinson from Charlton, but was left disappointed as England Under-21 international Phil Jones headed to Manchester United.

Blackburn centre-half Jones, 19, has long been on Wenger's radar, and the Gunners boss is said to have personally intervened to try to push through a move only for the teenager to follow Chris Smalling in preferring a future at Old Trafford.

Finland Under-19 skipper Jenkinson, who qualifies for dual nationality through his mother, broke into the Addicks' first team last season and leaves The Valley with a glowing reference from his former boss.

Chris Powell, the former England defender, said: "I want to put on record how much I admire Carl as player and, more importantly, as a young man. If he grows into the right-back we all feel he could be, we could be talking about a player playing at the highest level for a long time."

Harlow-born Jenkinson, who supported the Gunners as a youngster, said: "I will always be in Charlton's debt for the training they have given me since a young age."