There’s one word Mikel Arteta repeatedly plumbs during recruitment discussions: “Confidence”.
Of course, there are specific technical qualities he is looking for among the transfer targets he oversees, but the Arsenal manager insists that how they react in testing situations is key to countering the flood of criticism. Responsibility is given.
‘You need to know what you’re going to get’ is his explanation, and it would indicate that he has signed Gabriel Jesus and Alex Zinchenko from former club Manchester City.
It was also important in the pursuit of Declan Rice, who at a price of £105m was believed to be the biggest that any club could acquire in midfield.
Arsenal’s move for the England international is often wrongly plotted in the 2023 winter window, when West Ham are not entertaining any talks let alone offers for their captain.
By that point, the north Londoners already had six months’ worth of work – financial plans, data reports, character checks, and how to build the rest of the squad with Rice in it.
Outgoing CEO Vinay Venkatesham and sporting director Eddo had run through how Arsenal could secure the center back with manager San Arteta.
They then flew to Los Angeles to present detailed plans to Stan and Josh Kroenke, who bought into Rice’s vision of being a “Transformer” and signed off on the pursuit.
A full year ago the midfielder agreed to add more steel to Arsenal’s swagger, with his club-record-breaking transfer outlined.
A complex and unprecedented deal in the club’s history was also helped by managing director Richard Garlick, who was promoted to MD at the turn of the year, developing a strong relationship with the player’s father, brother and commercial adviser who looks after him. . Career
There was no trouble when City tried to engage in a transfer as Arsenal believed it was done. Their only concern was settling on a fee with West Ham, not losing to rivals that kept them moving thanks to a tremendous job.
“Everyone knows we want him,” Pep Guardiola said in October. “In the end, Arsenal pushed harder and wanted him more.
“Maybe Mikel was more convinced than me or the club itself or the offer that they got. We believe in the position that we couldn’t reach. We can’t afford it. We can afford it. Maybe less… that’s why.”
The truth is that Rice had already decided on Arsenal and was committed to his destination. The feeling was mutual.
Club stalwart Moses Caicedo was absent last January due to Rice’s absence and Arsenal rightly believe they need to add a layer of stability to close the gap on a elusive title.
Some sources have suggested that even if Brighton had not rejected a series of offers, the last of which was £70 million, for Caicedo, Arsenal would still have tried to acquire Rice as they did in July 2023.
His game-changing impact, ability to bring out the best in his teammates, and how he has moved the narrative around Arsenal even from the most hardened pundits tell the story of why.
Arteta’s use of Rice as both a defensive screen and dynamic eight is an indication of how far he feels the midfielder is from his ceiling.
It was interesting that when Frank Lampard presented the 25-year-old with a custom pair of Copa boots this week to mark his 50th England cap, when he captained the national team for the first time, Rice replied: “I think He had special shoes. Only reserved for players who win Ballon d’Or and stuff.
Arteta believes Rice could be in the mix for that top honor and all the other major individual honors. He is already among the favorites for Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year.
Rice allows Arsenal to dictate play as a controller in six, and as a stopper in eight. Arteta has the luxury of switching between these two versions depending on the opposition.
“The manager likes the fact that I can get around the pitch and disrupt the game,” Rice said. Sky Sports News In an exclusive interview.
“So when we’re moving teams up, he likes me in a more advanced role. And with the ball, I’m playing a completely different position. I’m playing in the pocket. Telling. Getting into the box, turning the body, turning in the pocket. It’s completely different from what I do in that No. 6. So, it’s a lot to learn, but it’s something I really enjoy. Staying because it’s making me a better player.”
In his first series external interview after joining Arsenal, Rice had said Sky Sports News He was already looking at football in a completely different way. You think you know football growing up and when you play, but when you meet managers like Mikel, you realize you know nothing about football. It will take some time. adaptation.”
I remind Rice of how taxing he assumed his setup would be in an unfamiliar playing style and he would not relent.
“The way Mikel wants to play and attack the opposition, the way he sees me playing in his team, it’s very different to what I’m used to, so I have to get used to it. It took a long time. “
The fact that Rice has been around a lot from off and on has armed Arteta not only with confidence but as someone who steps up to the task.
In the summer, all the talk was about the midfielder’s head-spinning fee. “Obviously with the price tag, people are always looking at your performance,” he says. “People always have something to say.”
They say that he turned out to be a thief. “That’s good to hear,” he added with a sheepish smile. “I’ve been in a lot of pressure situations this season, games where if we hadn’t won we’d have been outclassed by teams.
“You feel that pressure before a game, you know in your mind that you have to go out there and do everything you can to win, get the three points and really end that moment where you have your Learn the most about and clearly. A team too.”
The lesson, given that he is in double figures in goal assists, is that he needs to get more used to celebrating. Most of the time when I score, I don’t know what to do to be honest with you,” he laughs.
“Because I’m not used to scoring goals, I don’t have my own celebration, maybe I should come up with one. So when I’m scoring, it’s just pure joy, pure emotion, pure emotion and, like I said ., wherever I can help the team and score goals, that’s a real bonus.
“Half time, I’m seeing my great attacking players score goals, so it’s good to stick with something and I’ve got a good target, I want to try and get it and I’ll try to move on. That.”
He will score four more goals to add to his six. Is there anything like it? That buzz? “See, that feeling, you can’t duplicate it at all,” Rice says.
“When you score a goal, when you see the ball hit the back of the net and you hear the roar of 60,000, it’s just a special feeling. You have to be able to understand it. It’s really hard to talk about, but the feeling is so special and I never want to get bored.
Rice also needs to be aware of taking the top prizes even if he is humble enough to consider himself a serious contender for them.
“I think there are a lot of good players in the Premier League in my position,” he says. There are also many good attacking players. It’s great to be talked about that way but we still have a long way to go.
“I think these awards, they mean nothing to me at the minute. The main things are what we want to achieve as a team and we are right in it.”
Thank you very much.
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