“I was heartbroken when Arsenal signed him… He’s the only player which we see as a threat”: Pep Gaurdiorla says Arsenal has signed a really dangerous player who’s the only threat to Man City
Ian Wright is confident Arsenal’s deadline-day agreement for Raheem Sterling will prove to be a ‘magnificent deal’ for the club.
Sterling was informed that he was not part of Enzo Maresca’s plans for the season ahead at Chelsea and went on to agree a season-long loan deal with the Gunners.
The 29-year-old England forward will hope the move marks a fresh start after two underwhelming years with Chelsea, in which he managed just 19 goals in 81 appearances.
After the temporary switch was confirmed, Sterling said he raring to go and ‘hungry’ for success under Mikel Arteta, who he previously worked with at Manchester City.
‘It is a perfect fit for myself to be at a football club like this, where you can see that hunger, that desire. Year on year, they are pushing and pushing and pushing. That is exactly how I am as a person,’ Sterling told Arsenal’s official website.
‘Each year you want to get better and do better than the previous year. Hopefully I can gel really well with the boys and get going.
‘It’s time to meet the boys, get settled in, and hopefully see some game time and make my mark.’
Sterling’s arrival in north London has received a mixed reception among the Arsenal faithful, with some fans pointing to the attacker’s poor record over the last two seasons at Stamford Bridge.
However, legendary ex-Arsenal striker Wright believes his former club have brought in an excellent addition in Sterling, who he feels has a ‘point to prove’ in the Premier League.
‘I’m absolutely delighted with it, the way the deal has panned out,’ Wright said on the Wrighty’s House podcast.
‘Once I heard that Reiss Nelson… I first started to hear the sniffs around Ipswich. I thought to myself, for him, we’ll see how it goes. It seems like they’re getting a nice noise down there at Portman Road, which it is. It’s one of those old stadiums, a brilliant atmosphere.
‘But when I heard Fulham for him I thought, “Yeah… I think Raheem is on his way”.