Mikel Arteta says signings bring ‘special things’ to Arsenal and there may be more to come
Mikel Arteta says his summer signings will bring “special things” to Arsenal and refused to close the door on further arrivals before the transfer deadline.
The Gunners have splashed more than £200m to bring Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber to the Emirates Stadium, as Arteta prepares to mount another assault on the Premier League title after finishing runners-up to Manchester City last term.
With deals for Rice, Havertz and Timber already over the line, Arteta praised the club’s decisive action in the transfer market which gives his new recruits time to adjust to their new surroundings.
“Every signing that we have made brings special things to the team,” Arteta said.
“We are very pleased as you can imagine that we signed the players that we wanted. We’ve signed them early and they’ve started to adapt to the team really fast.
“We have some time now to prepare and for them to get the best chance to express themselves in the right way and to adapt they need to experience a few days how it looks like Arsenal.”
Declan Rice says the opportunity to work with Mikel Arteta was a big factor in his decision to join Arsenal, but admits it was hard to leave West Ham
The majority of Arsenal’s summer transfer spending has gone towards securing Rice’s club record £105m switch across the capital from West Ham.
Asked how the England international has settled at Arsenal, and how big an impact he could make in north London, Arteta added: “I think you all know.
“You all know his leadership, personality, and the experience he already has at 24. He’s already close with some of the boys, he knew a few of the boys from the England camp as well.”
Arteta continued: “Declan is very much known within the league and has done tremendously well both for West Ham and England.
“He’s a player that is going to bring a lot of qualities, a lot of leadership, a lot of experience in the league, very specific in the position with the qualities that he has. We are delighted to have him.”
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire says that Arsenal’s seemingly enhanced willingness to spend is a ‘reward’ for Mikel Arteta
The bulk of Arsenal’s summer spending may be complete, but Arteta revealed there could be further movement before the September 1 deadline.
“Let’s see there is a lot of time still in the market and a lot of expectation in some of our players,” Arteta said.
“So we will have to see how things develop in the next couple of weeks. We will be alert, there is still time to do things, there is still time for exits as well obviously. I’m sure things will move.”
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Who will be on the move this summer ahead of the transfer window closing at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumors in our dedicated Transfer Center blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
