Arteta on academy players being sold for profit and the consequences of rules

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on academy players being sold for profit and the consequences of rules  23/08/2024  Sobha Traing Ground, London, UK

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00:00A lot, a lot. When I had a talk with Emil, I really felt it. First of all because I had

00:14huge gratitude because he came into the team and I gave him the opportunity to come when it was a

00:20tough moment and I think he was the player that made our supporters and the team clicked in a way.

00:27I don't know how to explain it but that was my feeling. Something changed when he came on the

00:31team and he created a different energy straight away. And I have a feeling like I haven't got

00:38the best out of him. Obviously a lot of things happened in that time that are not to happen but

00:43from my side it was really sad because I know how those boys feel when they're in that building and

00:48how hard everybody works at the club to get them close to the first team. So I feel a huge

00:52responsibility after to give them the chance and now okay, can they sustain this level and

00:57make us better? And that's the idea that we have.

01:00Around 10 years ago or so, it was a stated ambition of the club to have a team that was

01:05half academy players, half signed in. Is that possible or realistic in terms of the level

01:12that it is in the investment community? Well, I think the sentence is not finished.

01:19I want to have a team that is half academy, half foreigner, whatever it is, and win the Premier

01:25League, Champions League consistently. Is that the sentence or is it just have it? Have it,

01:29it's possible, we can do that tomorrow. It's to achieve what is something different. I have a

01:33great example, Athletic Bilbao, what they've done only with academy players and basketball players

01:38is remarkable. But can they win now every year the La Liga and the Champions League? That's a

01:43different task. Every rule has its consequences. If somebody has thought about that very early,

02:04that's good. If that's what we want, that's what we want. If you put the upside line,

02:09you know what you can do. A lot of teams are going to play with a high line, you're going to

02:11be offside. If you take that off tomorrow, a lot of teams are going to defend in a different height.

02:16It's like every rule has its consequences and we have to accept that.

02:21Adam Calf, with the transfer window obviously closing next week,

02:25one of the questions I've had this year and last year that keeps coming up is a striker,

02:29striker, striker. If you hypothetically go for a striker, in terms of the factors of cost and

02:35profile, which is the most difficult to navigate?

02:42I don't know. It's not a question that we put ourselves because we have some great strikers.

02:47Gary Jesus is there, Kai has played there, a lot of Mino, Leo has played there and

02:51we believe that we have all the necessities as well and we fully trust our players.

02:56Last year we scored the most goals in the history of this club.

03:00We want to get better for sure and we'll try, but we're going to try with the players that

03:03are already with us.

03:05Away from the pitch, Bukayo Saka has had a mural here at the American Stadium on the

03:10wire. What do you make of it? What's the relationship between Saka and the

03:18North London neighbourhoods? It just seems like you're not following up on

03:22everyone's related stories about Saka.

03:25Well, I think Bukayo is a very likeable person, player, not only here but across the country and

03:32anybody in Europe or the world that knows him, you can sense that he's someone special.

03:37But I think that extending, Bukayo I understand, an academy player, there are many other paintings

03:42outside there. There is one of George Cronkite, which is unbelievable as well and so good to see.

03:49It's a reflection of how people feel about the club and the individuals. It's really good.

03:53Can you talk about the relationship that you have with Sterling Portia on City?

03:59Why is it about Sterling that impressed you so much? Do you think you might be getting

04:03to know him at some point?

04:04His willingness to learn and how he acted in a difficult moment for him

04:09in many levels. I play with a lot of courage, always available, always willing to play,

04:14always want to develop and extra. I was really, really impressed with him.

04:22You've been at Barca now almost five years and you've been through lows or highs.

04:28It feels like you work best when you're under pressure.

04:34Is that how you feel, when you're under pressure?

04:37Well, I think the pressure is something that we put ourselves. That pressure comes

04:43actually giving the team and the club the best possible tools to play the best possible way,

04:50to make sure that everybody is happy and fulfilled at the club and that we win trophies.

04:55That's the pressure. The other part is something that is part of the job,

04:59but it doesn't feel pressure with that.

05:02There's been some stormy times at the club that under you have been very calm.

05:05Do you often strangely worry that you couldn't want there to be that pressure again?

05:12You don't want to be too calm because you may take a bit of a gasp and relax?

05:18I don't see that happening. If there is something that we really want to promote

05:22is that everybody is in their toes, everybody is willing and everybody is with the same

05:28intention, which is to win. Hopefully, we can transmit that every single day.

05:34Last couple, Ed.

05:34I was just going back to the video game with both of them last year. I was wondering how

05:39much you analysed both of them. Did you fall into the same trap on both occasions?

05:49I think there are a lot of patterns there. Efficiency is one of them.

05:56I wouldn't call that a trap. I would call that something else.

05:59But yes, you have to give credit to them and the opponents when they manage to beat you,

06:06whether you merit or not merit. At the end, there are a lot of things that you can analyse

06:10and be very simplistic about it. It's because we lost,

06:13but there are other things as well that are, in my opinion, very relevant as well.

06:17Is there something about United that you would be looking to solve?

06:24I always admire him. I always admire him as a coach,

06:27as a person, what he's done with his teams. He had a difficult time when he was in his

06:34first experience here and he didn't hesitate to take another project

06:38and take it to a completely different level. That tells you as well about the courage of the person.

06:46You seem very relaxed about the new contract,

06:48but obviously the closer it goes towards expiry, the more fans are going to be worrying.

06:53Have you felt them panicking?

06:55I don't think anybody has to panic. I'm in the place that I want to be and I'm really happy.

07:01Hopefully the club thinks the same thing and the players are aware, which in my opinion is the most

07:07important thing, that I look every day at them. When I'm talking to them and we're having discussions

07:13and we're planning things, you sense in their eyes that sense of belief and hunger that is still there.

07:19So you're not expecting long-term?

07:22You're expecting a couple of minutes?

07:25Minutes? I don't know. We've done it in the past, it's never been an issue and I don't expect that.

07:37Well, I'm really sad. It was very difficult news and you can sense the love and respect

07:44and admiration that it was for him. I think what we experienced at the Day of Wolves was

07:49emotional and very unique as well. You can sense it was something very moving for everybody

07:55and especially for his family as well. So hopefully they felt that the club and

08:02everybody that knew him loved him and respected him in the manner that they do as well.

08:09Yeah, thank you.

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