Raheem Sterling 'buzzing' to join Arsenal as Edu makes honest admission about Chelsea loan
- Sterling sealed surprise loan to Arsenal on deadline day
- Chelsea winger delighted at reunion with Mikel Arteta
- Sporting director Edu admits deal came as a shock
By Tom Gott
Raheem Sterling has admitted he is looking forward to being part of Arsenal's ambitious project after joining on a season-long loan from Chelsea.
Sterling had been warned by Blues boss Enzo Maresca that he would not play again this season following his surprise exile for the opening game of the season and, after exploratory talks with Manchester United, joined Arsenal on deadline day.
"It's an unbelievable feeling," Sterling told club media. "It's really exciting. I’m buzzing.
"It's one where we kind of left it late but it's one I was hoping for. Looking at everything, I'm just, like, 'This is a perfect fit for me', and I'm super happy that we got it over the line.
"I spoke with Edu and I said that it's something you can see from the outside, you can see the real togetherness from Mikel [Arteta]'s time here.
"And you see the journey that the boys are on, and you can see the hunger, and I keep saying again, the togetherness is something I’m looking to be a part of."
Sporting director Edu went on to admit he was caught off guard by the nature of the late transfer.
"To be fair we never planned really to sign him when we started the transfer window, just to be very transparent, for different reasons," Edu explained. "But we always say to everyone that you have to be prepared for every single scenario.
"So when that opportunity came to me, and I checked the squad, I checked how he plays, and spoke to Mikel of course. I spoke to Tim [Lewis], our vice-chairman, to check if everyone is comfortable for the step we are going to take, and it makes a lot of sense.
"It makes a lot of sense to have someone like him because I’m pretty sure he is going to add a lot in the squad. He has experience, he understands more than anyone the league, he’s played in the Champions League many times. He won the Premier League a few times as well, so I think he can add a lot to our squad and I feel really happy to see someone like him in our squad."
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