Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed he knew within “ten seconds” that he wanted to sign Raheem Sterling.
The 29-year-old expressed to Arteta that joining Arsenal was his “dream,” and the deal was essentially finalized during that phone call.
Arteta believes Sterling is the ultimate big-game player and is prepared to deploy him in the North London derby, whether from the start or as a substitute.
Arteta, who previously coached Sterling at Manchester City and helped him reach his full potential, is confident that the loan signing will make a significant impact due to Sterling’s mentality and his desire to prove himself to parent club Chelsea.
Speaking on the signing, Arteta said: “The first call I had with him I knew in the first ten seconds we had to bring him here because he really wanted it.
“That was my only question mark: ‘What stage is he at in his career?’
“After ten seconds I knew already before the next questions that we needed him here.
“His first words were: ‘I was dreaming about this call.’ That’s it.
“That tells you that he really wants it and was already thinking about the possibility and he could see himself here, delivering and enjoying his profession.
“When that happened, the rest I knew about him, so that blew all the question marks away.”
Arteta added: “It is one of the things I love most about Raz.
“You take him to any ground, anywhere in the world and he is willing to be there to make the difference.”
Raheem Sterling had been staring at the harsh reality of becoming an outcast at Chelsea – without a squad number, no playing opportunities, and a swift fall from grace, going from World Cup star to sidelined in less than two years.
The last two seasons at Chelsea undoubtedly dented Sterling’s confidence.
However, that setback has fuelled his determination to prove himself at Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has expressed belief in Sterling’s ability to bounce back, suggesting that the winger’s confidence can be rebuilt under his guidance.
Arteta said: “We are going to try to give him everything that we believe is going to help him and empower him to get the best version of him.
“We will see daily how that looks.
“That is going to fluctuate in everybody’s career obviously. Knowing him and how he is about always playing, always being present and important.
“When you have that status and role for that to be changed, that hits you.
“We have to rebuild that but we have all the foundations and right context for him to get to the level we want.
“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 gonna make us better.
“He has this ability (to score goals) and the credit to that is him and the players he’s got around him certainly.
“He has that intuition and that will to do that. I’m sure it’s going to help the team.”
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