Arsenal left it incredibly late to sign Raheem Sterling on deadline day, welcoming the winger on loan from Chelsea.
Sterling’s future was left up in the air after being cruelly omitted from Enzo Maresca’s squad at Stamford Bridge this summer.
The Englishman was publicly told that he had no place in Maresca’s plans as his squad number was given away, a harsh situation that Arsenal capitalised on.
Sterling completed a season-long loan move to North London in the dying embers on deadline day and has now opened up on the project he’s joined at the Emirates.
Raheem Sterling makes Arsenal admission after completing transfer
It was a whirlwind 24 hours for Sterling on Friday’s transfer deadline day, as the Englishman signed for Arsenal in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The 29-year-old was then in attendance at the Emirates for the Gunners’ 1-1 draw with Brighton and now, has finally spoken for the first time since his arrival.
In a video courtesy of Arsenal’s official website, the winger revealed his thoughts on joining the club, sharing his verdict as an outsider looking in on Mikel Arteta’s work.
- READ MORE: Mikel Arteta shares how he will repeat his Man City success with Raheem Sterling at Arsenal
When asked what he said to Edu to get the deal over the line, Sterling admitted his excitement to join the Arsenal squad at this time.
“I said it’s something you can see from the outside, you can see the real togetherness from Mikel’s time here. You can see the journey the boys are on and you can see the hunger, it’s something that I’m looking to be a part of.”
It was the perfect deal for Sterling both on and off the pitch, who will remain in London with his family as well as joining Arteta’s project at an incredibly exciting time.
Sterling’s record when working with Mikel Arteta
It’s not only Sterling who will be thrilled to have made the move, as Arsenal also got the dream outcome from the deal.
Arsenal will pay less than 50% of Sterling’s wages, with Chelsea paying the majority of the forward’s salary for him to play for the Gunners.
Added to that, the England international will have the chance to play under Arteta once more, whom he worked with during his time at Manchester City.
What is interesting is that when Sterling was at City with Arteta, the 29-year-old scored an astounding 51 Premier League goals between 2016 and 2019.
It will be hoped from an Arsenal perspective that the manager can rediscover the form that the winger showed during his time in Manchester when the boss was Pep Guardiola’s assistant.
For now, it seems that Sterling is incredibly happy to have made the move to North London, with plenty to come for the England international this season.
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