Mikel Arteta has made it no secret that he is a huge fan of reported Arsenal transfer target Serge Gnabry.
The German international broke into Arsene Wenger's first team during the 2013/14 campaign, scoring his first and only goal for the club during a Premier League clash against Swansea. However, the talented winger decided a permanent departure was the best solution for his career, and he eventually left in 2016 before establishing himself as one of Bundesliga's best players in recent years.
Gnabry has netted 64 goals and provided a further 40 assists in 171 appearances for parent club Bayern Munich, clinching four Bundesliga titles and one UEFA Champions League trophy in the process. The 26-year-old has just over one year on his contract at the Allianz Arena, and recent reports have suggested he is unwilling to accept the Bavarian's recent extension, with a return to the Emirates Stadium mooted as a possibility.
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It remains to be seen how interested Arsenal would be in a potential transfer for Gnabry, but Arsenal boss Arteta has previously admitted that he is a huge fan of the tricky wideman. "I think he's got a lot of quality," Arteta told the club's media back in 2014 when the duo were teammates.
"He's got something not many players have in this team, which is pace and skill to go and beat people. That's why the manager played him - three upfront is something that helps us be more incisive.
"We want to go behind [the opponents] and get into one versus one situations. Gnabry is very good like that, and I'm very pleased for him because I think he did really well.
"He's like a little boxer, he's a little fighter. He's good. He's got a lot of character as well. The lad doesn't get intimidated either because it's a derby.
"His character is great. You see it in training. Technically, he is very good, but he's got something about him as well. He doesn't mind when he gets kicked, he gets up and goes for the next ball. He's quite brave."
