Arteta on summer transfers and facing Newcastle

NicheSportMedia

Arsenal manager Mikel  16/05/2025  Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK

Transcript

00:00It was obviously open training the other day, and I don't know, maybe it's my imagination.

00:05He seemed to have bumped up quite a lot. He looked strong and basic.

00:08Is that something that he wants to do? Is that right? Does he look it anymore?

00:13Yeah, but especially the way he's been a transformation in his body.

00:18He's been so condensed the last two or three years of his career,

00:24and he hasn't had time to do that.

00:25And it was a window, and he really wanted to use it.

00:28And to be fair as well, the staff, how they have explained the opportunity that is within,

00:35with his physique especially, to go to a different level and the things that he can improve

00:40that are going to be, I think, detrimental for him to be even more effective as a player.

00:44He got on board with that. He started to work. He feels better.

00:47You can see his presence, and yeah, I think he destroyed every metric that they had

00:53in there for the last 10 years, so that's good news.

00:56Look, I think he's still your Premier League top scorer.

01:00There's obviously a lot to talk about Stryker this summer.

01:03How do you see his future?

01:06And he's always been an adaptable player, right?

01:08Yeah.

01:08Basically, you know, is he still Stryker? Is he more adaptable than that?

01:12Well, one of the biggest qualities of Oskar is his versatility, but goal thread, whatever

01:17he plays. And he's so intelligent. So, yeah, he will play as a knight, he will play as an

01:22attacking midfielder, and he's going to be super important for us as a team.

01:26You just mentioned that with Kaido, he destroyed every metric. What kind of metrics are you suggesting that?

01:33All of them. The power, acceleration, muscle mass, the way that he has increased certain capacities

01:42in his body, his agility. It's been incredible. So, I was talking to the medical staff the other day,

01:47and they were talking that. But for someone that is not in the team to have that mindset,

01:52the only thing that he's done is just raise the standards in that building. Because then the

01:56other ones that were injured were looking at him and say, I'm going to look bad if I don't do the

02:00same. So, that's part of the culture. And very grateful, because when the players that are not

02:05playing are doing that, he's just raising the bar. For the next one to come, if he's not at that

02:09level, he's going to get exposed. So, that will make us better.

02:12You've also had a lot of players that aren't already at the club, but going back to November,

02:17obviously, you guys play sportsman 5-1. What did you make of the performance of it to your press on that

02:22evening?

02:22The direction of the question was good.

02:28Till the last part, you know that I cannot talk about anything.

02:33And it was a great performance from us. That's what I can tell you.

02:38We're in a really short time. Sorry. We're going to Jordan.

02:40Anyhow, I suppose this morning, you were saying how he's frustrated with the number of his

02:47players. Is that just the game now? Is that what you have to deal with as a manager?

02:56Well, it's part of, I think, where we are. And as well, I think the media and the news

03:02are so connected. The amount of messages, pictures that I get that you want this player or you

03:06know, using this player is incredible. But yeah, I think it's part of everything that

03:13we are here. It's part of the entertainment. I see my kids. And for next season, they are

03:17already trading players with their games that they play and all that. I mean, it's also connected.

03:22We need to accept that, I think.

03:23Are they giving you any advice?

03:24Yeah, yeah. They give you a lot of advice.

03:27And just because of how well Newcastle have done, obviously there are a lot of players

03:33in their Olympic clubs. Have they earned the right to fight to keep hold of those players

03:38because of where they are at the table?

03:39I don't know. This is a question for Newcastle. I don't know.

03:43Yeah.

03:44One of the very obvious strategic changes in the UK is signing players from within the

03:50Premier League. I've also done that much more in the past five years than previous five

03:54years. I just wondered why that's such a part of the recruitment strategy here.

04:01Well, to be fair, sometimes it's been a thoughtful decision. Sometimes it's been an opportunity.

04:09Sometimes it's been luck, I would say. But, yeah, there is an element that I'm

04:13understanding the league, having competed with the league, obviously brings the adaptation

04:17timing lower and the risk lower. The best thing is when you have talent in the building

04:25because you know them already for many years. You just throw them in. You have seen them

04:28every day and there is no adaptation. But sometimes the players have to be up a level.

04:33And as well, obviously, we know how much they cost those players, so we experience that.

04:37I think it's probably a bit of English arrogance that we always say on the Premier League

04:40is one of the best players on the best teams. Do you agree with that? You've been here for

04:45so long? When you live across Europe and…

04:47When I look at our league and here, for me, it's no question. It's the best league in

04:51the world. For me, I've experienced a few of them. And the one that we have right now

04:57is incredibly exciting and good to work.

04:59Is it your final say on whether a player comes through the door?

05:08It's always a we. I think it's always a decision that all of us have to come together. Then,

05:16obviously, in certain aspects, the club, obviously, in the financial aspects, whether it's a strategy,

05:21if it is or that, they have a bigger say than me because I don't want to have an opinion on that.

05:25I would have probably a reference but not a strong opinion when it's more technical or tactical

05:30aspects of how I think that player is going to now emerge and be cohesive with the group of players

05:37that we have and where I see them now developing and what we want to do next with another player,

05:42of course, is more between the sporting director, in this case, Andrea, myself and on the scouting department.

05:48You only have a sort of what the budget is. You have the budget. Would you…

05:53I mean, someone like Decker, who obviously costs perhaps more than you intended,

05:56but shows how good he is. Is that an example maybe of perhaps spending a little bit more

06:03and having fewer players who are the quality you want rather than kind of spreading themselves up?

06:08The thing is that the budget is like when you have your wedding,

06:12did you plan your wedding with your wife and you give her a budget and nevertheless,

06:15it's always more. You know, when you build a house, it's always more.

06:18I think normally this happens. So, you prepare for different scenarios.

06:23Then, an unfortunate thing happens. Sometimes we want to play it and suddenly we have an injury

06:27or that player gets injured. There are so many variables that can happen. But yeah,

06:32there is a budget always. There is an idea of what we can do, what we can improve,

06:36what the priorities are going to be and then let's see if we can do it.

06:40Okay, guys? Yeah, okay. Thank you.

06:44Before we go, guys, we're just saying goodbye to one of our regulars that's moving.

06:48Moving to Glasgow.

06:50Let's go.

06:53Let's go.

06:55Let's go.

06:57Let's go.

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