Mikel Arteta had only kind words to say about the departures Arsenal greenlit this summer that left Bukayo Saka upset.
The Premier League giants said goodbye to three Hale End graduates with Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah leaving on permanent deals to Fulham and Crystal Palace, respectively.
A third in Reiss Nelson left the club on loan on transfer deadline day to join Smith Rowe at the Cottagers with all three Englishmen leaving Saka as the sole academy graduate in the first-team squad.
The exits of the players who Saka described as his “big brothers” left the England star admitting to missing their presence during an interview on the Men in Blazers podcast.
“Yeah, I’m not going to lie, I’ve missed them a bit you know,” said the 23-year-old. “Since I came into the first-team they were kind of like my big brothers with the way they welcome me and stuff like that.
“So yeah, it wasn’t easy to see them all go, but at the same time, I’m really happy for them because they’re three top, top players with so much quality and I’m sure they’re going to shine in the Premier League this year.”
Smith Rowe was the first to leave his boyhood club in a £34million move to Fulham, including add-ons, in what was an emotional departure to sanction for Arteta who said it was “really sad” to see the 24-year-old move on.
“When I had the talk with Emile, I really felt it,” the Gunners boss said. “First of all because I have huge gratitude because he came into the team at a tough moment. I think he was the player that made our supporters and the team click, in a way.
“I don’t know how to explain it but that was my feeling. Something changed when he came in the team. He created a different energy straight away. And I have a feeling like ‘argh’, that I have not got the best out of him. Obviously a lot of things happened in that time.
“From my side it was really sad, because I know how those boys feel when they are in that building, how hard everyone works to get them close to the first team, so I feel a huge responsibility to give them the chance. And now, can they sustain this level and make us better? That is the idea.”
Nketiah, who scored 38 goals in 168 games for Arsenal, clinched a £30m transfer to Crystal Palace last month as Arteta admitted the striker wanted more game-time than he was given at the Emirates Stadium.
“He is a player who has developed well through our academy and now he takes this opportunity with Crystal Palace,” the Spaniard said of Nketiah. “Eddie is a top professional, loved by everyone at the club, who wanted and needed to play more minutes. We wish Eddie well as he moves onto his next challenge.”
With Nelson’s move to west London occurring on transfer deadline day, Arteta previously praised the winger for his impact off the bench against Bournemouth last season where he scored a last-minute winner to keep Arsenal in the title race.
“Look at the example of Reiss. His best moment for Arsenal, it’s a moment where he played a few minutes and made a huge impact and it’s one of the best days in his life as an Arsenal player. Nobody remembers if he started or if it was off the bench. There are a lot of examples in world sport where players made the impact.”
Nelson struggled to assert himself into the Arsenal team and was sent a clear message by the Gunners boss as his place in the squad was taken by Raheem Sterling who joined the club on loan from Chelsea on the same day he left.
Having grown familiar with the winger at Manchester City, Arteta revealed just how quickly he knew he wanted to sign him. “The first call I had with him I knew in the first ten seconds we have to bring him because he really wanted it,” he said.
Sterling made his debut in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (September 15) and could feature again when the club get their Champions League campaign underway on Thursday (September 19) against Europa League winners Atalanta.
