Arteta on Saka's Contract Renewal and North London Derby

NicheSportMedia

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Saka's Contract Renewal and North London Derby  21/11/2025  Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK

Transcript

00:00Mikel, you've also had a lot of players return from international duty.

00:06There were six or seven that have never reached the World Cup before,

00:09and now they've done it.

00:11I'd just like to wonder really, what do you think about

00:14and whether you want them to take that momentum forward

00:17or whether they should just totally forget about it?

00:20Have you spoken to them about it?

00:22Keep that in the system, put the World Cup now in a draw till March.

00:26That's it. Now it's Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal.

00:29And is that something you've spoken to them?

00:31Yeah.

00:32Because you obviously had some very happy people coming back.

00:35Yeah, which is great because that emotional state is very contagious

00:39and really positive.

00:40We need to maintain that, and the better we do here,

00:43the better it's going to be for every national team as well.

00:45But do you think maybe equally their confidence levels have been helped?

00:49Can that help even if they're forgetting about it,

00:51that they've come in and just got that extra three, four, five percent

00:54ever actually is an obvious one?

00:57I hope you are right.

00:58Four percent.

00:59How many players?

01:00Seven, eight, twelve?

01:01We are a super team.

01:03So I hope that's the case, yeah.

01:05Hi, Michael.

01:06With Martins and Mendy, of course, a lot of people have already said

01:10that the season impact he's having on your team is quite clear.

01:14But from your eyes, what are the intricacies that he has brought to your team,

01:18who has made him tick to a different level, particularly in this field?

01:23First of all, you have to adapt to the league in the physical and emotional parts.

01:28It's not easy.

01:29The demands that you put in, you come to a different club, different countries,

01:33never been away from home.

01:34You have to deal with all that.

01:35He's done it brilliantly there.

01:37Why?

01:38Because he's such a good character that is connected with everybody so fast.

01:42He's very loved already in the dressing room by all the staff here.

01:45And then his qualities.

01:46He's such a talented and intelligent player that he picks things immediately.

01:51And when that happens and you have good players around you,

01:55normally that's a good combination to be successful.

01:58But it's easier to say that to get it done.

02:00And he needs to continue like that because still he can improve

02:03and do much more for the team.

02:05And that's the aim.

02:07Well, Declan Rice seems to be in a bit more of an advanced role

02:10getting further up the pitch.

02:12What kind of impact has Martins and Mendy had on that, in a way,

02:15in terms of that foil behind him to give him that protection?

02:18Well, at the end, when we start to put together different qualities

02:24that we have in midfield, and Eps is one and Declan and Martins,

02:27they play together, the three of them.

02:29We need certain different interactions as well

02:31and the capacity to be more unpredictable as well in terms of positioning.

02:35And he's brought that to the team and individually to other players as well.

02:40How about his impact on the box in terms of the goal scoring and the shots as well?

02:44Well, see, the last game is a great example as well.

02:47He hits the bar.

02:48He puts one across very close to the post.

02:50He has another action that he dribbles inside and shoots with the right foot.

02:54On set-piece, he's been very good as well.

02:56So we need that, a total player.

02:59OK, last couple.

03:00Ed and then Gary.

03:01Thanks.

03:02Hi.

03:03You talked earlier about how you've replaced a lot of different players,

03:06obviously you've had a lot of injuries in the last couple of seasons.

03:08Do you think he's the most difficult player in your squad to replace

03:12in terms of what he brings you on the pitch at both ends?

03:16I don't know.

03:17Obviously, he's a big, big player for us.

03:20But the good thing is that we have experienced that.

03:23Last year, in the most crucial moment of the season,

03:26we were without him for three months.

03:28And the team managed and remained super competitive.

03:32We won a lot of matches.

03:33We were defensively really good against very, very tough opponents.

03:37So we need to do it again.

03:38Obviously, we don't know how long he's going to be out for,

03:41but is he going to play?

03:42He's a real leader in the team.

03:44Is he going to still be around teams or trying to help motivate them

03:47and be involved with the team?

03:50Even if he's not playing?

03:51Yeah, the fact that you cannot play or train with that

03:53doesn't mean that you cannot do all the other activities

03:57and add value to the team.

03:59And he's going to be very close to the team, yeah.

04:02And finally, we've got to Gary.

04:03You seem quite relaxed on Bucano.

04:06In the past, obviously, the club has had some issues

04:09with players taking contracts

04:11but in the last two years or even the last year,

04:13you seem very relaxed.

04:15Are you confident we will do it in the next couple of months?

04:20Yeah, I prefer that word.

04:22I think it's confident because what Bucano has admitted to me

04:26and the club and Emic as well,

04:29that they want to continue to be here.

04:31I think it's a very healthy and powerful relationship.

04:35The journey that he had at the club and what he's become,

04:41it's something that we want to maintain

04:43and I think that's something that is going to leave a legacy

04:46at this football club and he needs to fulfil that role, which is great.

04:50The contract seems to have been done relatively smoothly.

04:53All the players that were going to give maybe

04:55could come a bit more triple with him.

04:58Has there been a big drive from the club to try to do this early,

05:04to say not have the issue going into last year,

05:07not have this hanging over to have a much more positive statement?

05:11Yeah, I think it's been a very clear vision and route

05:15how we wanted to do things.

05:17I think our leadership has been incredibly supportive

05:20and determined to make sure that we can continue the journey

05:26with these players and maintain the core of the team

05:28and then the efficiency that everybody that works upstairs,

05:31starting with Andrea and all the team, to get things on.

05:35Because at the end there are always three parties

05:37and it's never an easy thing to get on.

05:40Okay.

05:41Let's go.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended