After a frustrating couple of years at Chelsea, Raheem Sterling will be hoping a reunion with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal can help him get back to his very best.
Sterling’s deadline-day loan transfer to Arsenal sees him link up with his former coach, in a move that few would have foreseen at the beginning of the summer.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sterling is effusive when asked about his new boss, who has transformed Arsenal into a perennial title challenger since joining the North London club in 2019.
In an interview with Arsenal’s official website on Tuesday, Sterling said of Arteta: “He’s a top guy, a top character.”
“I’ve been watching his journey because I spent some time with him at Manchester City, and to see him come in here and stamp his mark on this amazing football club, with this amazing history, it says a lot about him and the great job he is doing here.
“You can see the real togetherness, the journey that the boys are on, and the hunger. The togetherness is something I’m looking to be a part of.
“I’m really excited. There are always challenges and this is another challenge. It’s one that I’m relishing and I’ll really go out there and do my thing.”
The pair know each other very well, having worked together at City between 2016 and 2019 – during which time the club won two Premier League titles.
It was an especially memorable period for the 29-year-old, with Sterling playing some of his best football to date under Arteta and the rest of Pep Guardiola’s coaching team.
That period stands in stark contrast to the England international’s time at Stamford Bridge, which culminated in Sterling being frozen out of the Chelsea squad heading into the new season.
Raheem Sterling ‘buzzing’ over late Arsenal move
Deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea, Arsenal swooped at the final hour to sign Sterling on a season-long loan, in what could prove to be a decisive addition to the Gunners’ forward line – as they aim to overhaul reigning Premier League champions Man City.
When asked about the switch, Sterling added: “I’m buzzing. It’s one where we left it late but it’s one I was hoping for. Looking at everything, I’m just like: ‘this is a perfect fit for me’, and I’m super happy that we got it over the line.
“It’s a perfect fit for myself to be at a football club like this, where you can see that hunger, that desire, year on year, they are pushing and pushing and pushing. That’s exactly how I am as a person.”
