Raheem Sterling is clearly delighted to now be an Arsenal player.
Arsenal signed Raheem Sterling in the final hours of Transfer Deadline Day.
Sterling has joined Arsenal on loan from Chelsea and will now spend this season at the Emirates Stadium.
The structure of this deal benefits the Gunners hugely. Sporting director Edu Gaspar got the better of Chelsea in negotiations for Sterling, and as such the North London club had to pay no loan fee in order to secure his services and they will also pay less than 50% of his wages.
Meanwhile, the 29-year-old winger has come to Arsenal with a point to prove. After a difficult couple of seasons at Stamford Bridge, the former Manchester City star needs to show that he still belongs at the very highest level.
First, he will need to fight for game time ahead of the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Bukayo Saka, but he has good reason to be hungry and eager for the competition.
Raheem Sterling of Arssenal at Sobha Realty Training Centre on September 03, 2024 in London Colney, England.
Raheem Sterling embraces Arsenal challenge
Mikel Arteta will know all about Sterling’s quality, having worked with the attacker previously when he was an assistant coach at Manchester City.
Meanwhile, Sterling has been keeping tabs on Arteta as a manager, and has huge respect for the Arsenal boss and his methods.
The chance to reunite with Arteta will have been a key factor in the 82-cap England star’s eagerness to join the Gunners. However, it was not the only reason he wanted to sign for Arsenal, as he has now explained himself.
Speaking to the club’s official website, he reflected upon his move: “It’s one where it was left late, but it was one that I was hoping for. I think looking at everything this is a perfect fit for me and I’m super happy that we got it over the line.
“I keep saying it’s a perfect fit for myself. To be at a football club like this where you can see that hunger and desire year on year and that’s exactly how I am as a person. Each year you want to get better than the previous year. Hopefully I can gel really well with the boys.”
What Raheem Sterling will bring to Arsenal
Arteta needs Sterling to bed in quickly and hit the ground running at the Emirates Stadium. Given that the player already has nearly 400 Premier League appearances under his belt and will already know many of his new teammates well, this shouldn’t be an issue for him.
Micah Richards believes Sterling brings something new to this Arsenal team, and his intelligent movement, pace, ability to time his forward runs, and winning experience will all be valuable additions to Arteta’s group.
However, there is certainly a question mark over Sterling’s ability to return to the kind of form he produced in his time at Manchester City.
If he can even get close to those levels though, when he played a key role in four Premier League title triumphs at the Etihad Stadium, then the Gunners’ decision to sign him on loan will swiftly come to look like a masterstroke.
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