Arteta explains how Sterling convinced him to sign him

Arsenal signed Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea on transfer deadline day, with the player preparing to make his debut for the Gunners in the north London derby this weekend.

Speaking about the move, Mikel Arteta admitted in Friday’s press conference it didn’t take long to convince him that Sterling was ready for a new challenge.

“The first call I had with him, I knew straight away after 10 seconds, we have to bring him because he really wanted it,” Arteta said.

“And that was my only question mark, what stage is he at in his career, but I knew already after 10 seconds. Bring him here.

“He has this ability and the credit for that is him and the players that he has around him. You need that if you’re one of the front players. He has that intuition, that will and ability to do that. I’m sure he’s going to impact the team.”

Raheem Sterling in training with Arsenal 

Raheem Sterling in training with Arsenal 

As for what exactly it was that Sterling said to convince Arteta so quickly, the Arsenal boss revealed that later in the press conference.

“His first word is ‘I was dreaming [of] that call’,” Arteta explained. “You know, that tells you that he really wanted (the move), he was already thinking about the possibility and he could see himself here, delivering and enjoying his profession again.

“So when that happened – the rest, I knew about it – so that took all the question marks away.”

Raheem Sterling after signing for Arsenal 

Raheem Sterling after signing for Arsenal 

Perhaps it should be no surprise that Sterling was dreaming of the chance to drop Chelsea for Arsenal. The Gunners are playing in the Champions League, fighting at the top of the Premier League table, and they thrashed their London rivals 5-0 in April.

But Arteta’s point is that Sterling has already achieved so much in his career, despite being just 29 years old.

He’s won the Premier League four times, he’s won the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Community Shield, he’s represented his country at World Cups and European Championships, and he’s closing in on 200 career goals.

You can’t be sure if a player with that record will still have the drive to push your team on until you have that conversation with them. Thankfully, Sterling left Arteta with no doubts.