Mikel Arteta Says “A Lot” Can Still Happen For Arsenal In Transfer Market

Mikel Arteta said the summer transfer window is not over for Arsenal yet as the club could sign more players and some players may exit the club before the window closes on September 1.

So far, Arsenal have been one of the most active elite clubs in the 2023 summer transfer window as the North London side have brought in virtually all their target players.

The Gunners have spent more than £200 million on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber as Arteta prepares to compete for the Premier League title once more after finishing second to Manchester City in the 2022-2023 season.

Even though the Gunners have broken their transfer records and set a new one, Arteta insisted that anything can still happen this summer.

“Let’s see there is a lot of time still in the market and a lot of expectation in some of our players,” coach Mikel Arteta told reporters on Monday, July 17.

“So we will have to see how things develop in the next couple of weeks. We will be alert, there is still time to do things, and there is still time for exits as well obviously. I’m sure things will move.”

With the signing of Rice, Havertz, and Timber already finalized, Arteta praised Arsenal’s decisive activity in the transfer market, which gives his new additions time to adjust to their new surroundings.

“Every signing that we have made brings special things to the team,” Arteta said.

“We are very pleased as you can imagine that we signed the players that we wanted. We’ve signed them early and they’ve started to adapt to the team rest.

“We have some time now to prepare and for them to get the best chance to express themselves in the right way and to adapt they need to experience a few days how it looks like Arsenal.”

Mikel Arteta gives his assessment of Arsenal’s record signing Declan Rice

In a club-record £105 million transfer fee, Rice left his boyhood club West Ham for Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta believes that the 24-year-old England international would have a huge influence on the team and adapt quickly.

The Spanish tactician hailed the leadership skill of the Englishman which he used in helping West Ham win a major title – Europa Conference League – last season, for the first time in over four decades.

“You all know his leadership, personality, and the experience he already has at 24. He’s already close with some of the boys, he knew a few of the boys from the England camp as well”, Arteta said.

The coach added: “Declan is very much known within the league and has done tremendously well both for West Ham and England.

“He’s a player that is going to bring a lot of qualities, a lot of leadership, a lot of experience in the league, very specific in the position with the qualities that he has. We are delighted to have him.”