Mikel Arteta has opened up on the impact of Stan Kroenke as owner since taking over as Arsenal manager. The fan favourite as a player is now set to enter his third full season as head coach and is looking to build on the second place finish from last term.
Having been under immense pressure just 18 months ago following a disastrous start to the season and continuing toxicity in the fanbase, Arteta has since managed to bring life and connection back to the club. He managed to overturn widespread criticism and anger in December 2021 to become one of the most sought after coaches in the game.
His succession of impressive transfer windows, seeking young and characteristic players from the Premier League, has helped to form the foundation of a side that led the table for 248 days of last season before coming unstuck in the final months.
With a core of talented world stars in their early 20s there is remaining optimism that the Gunners can continue to rise up into more European prominence. They will enter the Champions League next season for the first time since 2016 and are looking to build on their work under director of football, Edu Gaspar.
His impact on attracting young players with immense promise has helped to create a hard-working ethos around the club that has seen Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, Takehiro Tomisyasu and William Saliba all go on to make their debuts and flourish under Arteta in recent years.
Such is his newfound stature in the game he is unsurprisingly being linked with some of the biggest jobs with Paris Saint-Germain said to be one of those that had heavily considered him for the role. However, Arteta has come out to squash those rumours and has thanked the trust of the club's owners for his rise.
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"I feel loved, valued by our owners, Stan and Josh (Kroenke), and I have a lot to do here at this club," he told Marca. "I am happy and tremendously grateful to be at Arsenal."
His turnaround on the field has helped to better the image of Kroenke with the Arsenal fans after relations with the owner hit an all-time low in April 2021 during the origins of the European Super League fiasco. A massive U-turn in performances and feel at the club have helped change things around and now there is excitement for the future.
The Gunners will now be hoping to match their work on the pitch with more impressive recruitment as they look to bring in a set of high-profile transfers in what is the most important window in recent years.
