‘Sometimes luck, sometimes a thoughtful decision’
Mikel Arteta has tried to explain why he’s often brought in players with Premier League experience – with spectacular results at times.
The Emirates chief has signed men like David Raya, Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino – not all with encouraging Prem backgrounds.
Arteta said: “Sometimes it has been a thoughtful decision and sometimes it has been an opportunity.
“Sometimes it has just been luck. But there’s an element of understanding the league that brings the adaptation time lower and the risk lower.”
Arteta reluctant to say he has regrets
Questioned on whether he has any regrets about how this season has gone, Gunners’ boss Mikel Arteta said: “I wouldn’t use that word.
” I can guarantee you, I give you my word, that we have all tried our very best.
“Do we want a different outcome? Especially how close we’ve come again? The answer is yes, but that doesn’t undermine a lot of incredible things that this team has done.
“Again, in the context that we’re there, in the opposition that we play, with the circumstances that we have, it’s impossible to undermine.
“So, be the best of the rest and feel that pain to be better, and then we will get better at the small margins that can define winning big trophies or not.”
Arsenal vs PSG for Ordonez?
Arsenal have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Club Brugge over centre back Joel Ordonez.
The 21-year-old caught the eye during the Belgians’ run to the Champions League knockout stage.
But according to Inside Futbol, PSG are ready to hijack a move for the in-demand Ecuadorian.
Mikel explains Havertz transformation
Asked to reveal fit-again Kai Havertz’s gym metrics, Mikel Arteta said: “All of them.
“Power, acceleration, muscle mass, the way that he has increased certain capacities in his body, his agility.
“The last three years in his career have been so condensed that he hasn’t had time to do that and this has been a window and he really wanted to use it.
“The staff explained the opportunity with his physique to go to a different level and the things that he can improve. It can help him mentally as well as being more effective as a player.
“He got on board with that, he worked hard, you can see his presence and he destroyed all the metrics that we had in the gym for the last ten years.
“I was talking to the medical staff the other day. For someone that is not in the team to have that mindset, the only thing he has done is raise the standards in the building.
“The other ones in the building who are injured are looking at him and thinking: ‘I’m going to look bad if I don’t do the same’, so that’s part of the culture.”
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