Arteta on facing Xhaka at Sunderland

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on facing his former midfielder and captain Granit Xhaka at Sunderland in the Premier League this weekend Sobha Realty Training Centre, London, UK

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00:00Sunderland next, sure to be quite an emotional game for one player in particular in Granit Xhaka.

00:05He says that you changed him as a human being both on and off the pitch.

00:11Could you give us an insight into the conversations you had with him

00:14and what part of your journey did he play?

00:18Yeah, I loved every minute that we spent together.

00:22When I joined, he was in a special moment that was of his life and his career.

00:28And between all of us, we tried to guide him, to give him a different perspective,

00:34to make him feel loved, valued, and he responded in an incredible way.

00:40So he made me a better coach.

00:42He helped us to develop and improve a lot as a football team and as a club.

00:49And I will be eternally grateful because I have great memories with him.

00:53Given the relationship you had with him, when he did leave in 2023,

00:58how reluctant were you to let him go?

01:00Did you try and convince him to stay?

01:03Well, I already did it once.

01:05And then we extended his contract and when he came in and explained the reasons,

01:09you have to understand the human being, you have to be grateful.

01:13It was a unique opportunity for him to come back to his country, to his family.

01:18And there were certain things that he wanted to experience as well.

01:23And I believe it was the right moment.

01:25So he was very honest, as he is very straightforward, as he always is.

01:31And we found a way to find a good solution for all of us.

01:36Where would you rank Xhaka's move to Sunderland in regard to the signings of the summer?

01:43Well, with the impact he was having, one of the best, I would say.

01:48I think what they've done as a football club as well in the last few years is very impressive.

01:54The manner they've done and the decision that they've taken and how stable they look

01:57and how they have started the season.

01:59So, really impressive.

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