Mikel Arteta has revealed his first reaction to Arsene Wenger signing Santi Cazorla for Arsenal all the way back in the summer of 2012.
It had only been a year since Arteta had joined us at the time, but he was already a very respected member of the squad. He could see the bigger picture more than most other players, and he knew Cazorla would be a special player for Arsenal right after Wenger signed him.
Mikel Arteta says he was convinced Santi Cazorla would change Arsenal’s world
Arsene Wenger signed Santi Cazorla for Arsenal from Malaga for a fee under £15 million in 2012.
The little magician instantly became a fan favourite at the Emirates and was arguably our best player that season. He was spectacular in the years to come as well, and Gooners love him even to this day.
Cazorla’s first friend at Arsenal 11 years ago was his compatriot Mikel Arteta.
In an interview recently, the current Gunners boss was asked by Charles Watts to name the one ‘transfer that excited him the most during his playing days’.
Arteta didn’t pick Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez, he chose Cazorla instead.
Responding to the question with a smile on his face, he told Watts for TeamTalk: “Santi Cazorla!
“I knew that he was going to change our world. A special player.”
Bring Cazorla back to Arsenal
If there’s one former Arsenal player fans would love to see come back to the Emirates in some capacity, it’s Cazorla.
There are very few players who just give you joy when you see or hear about them. Cazorla is one of them, and to add to that, he was an exceptional player as well.
Arsenal coach Albert Stuivenberg has been linked with the Ajax job, and he could return to the Netherlands to take it at the end of this season.
If that happens, we would love to see Cazorla back at the Emirates as a part of Arteta’s coaching staff.
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