Mikel Arteta reveals moment he knew Arsenal must sign Raheem Sterling
- Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal on loan in dramatic deadline day switch
- England winger had been frozen out at Chelsea by Enzo Maresca
- Mikel Arteta admits it didn't take long to realise Sterling was right player to pursue
Mikel Arteta says he knew after just 10 seconds that Raheem Sterling was the right signing for Arsenal to make on transfer deadline day.
Sterling was frozen out at London rivals Chelsea despite playing a prominent role in Enzo Maresca's pre-season plans – the 29-year-old the most high-profile victim of an overly bloated squad in west London - and completed a season-long loan move to the Gunners in the final hours of the summer window.
He joins a strong-looking Arsenal forward line that boasts the likes of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard among others, bringing a wealth of Premier League title-winning experience with him from his days at Manchester City.
Indeed, Arteta, formerly an assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at City, knows Sterling's capabilities all too well. The only question in the Spaniard's mind was what stage of his career he was at after a tough time at Chelsea – something he got the answer to just ten seconds into the pair having a conversation about moving to Arsenal.
"He looks great. He's got a lot of energy, a smile on his face and he's at it," Arteta told the media on Friday of his two weeks of training. "He wants to prove a point and when someone's got that in his belly you sense it straight away.
"Obviously I don't need to know anything else about his quality and what he can bring to the team. In his personal life a lot of things have changed but with the player I was really surprised. The first call I had with him I knew in the first ten seconds we have to bring him because he really wanted it.
"That was my only question mark: 'what stage is he at in his career?' [But] after 10 seconds, I knew already before the next questions that we needed him here.
"What I see is hunger. He's a player that wants to play every minute of every game. When that's not the case, he's not happy. He wants to play every single day and I see that.
"His commitment and the level of energy that he's bringing to the team is a big boost. You can feel it walking through the door. We are better with him. He's going to make us better."
Sterling is in contention to play for Arsenal against north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday - a game they will be without Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori and Declan Rice for owing to injuries and suspension.
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